(Washington Observation) Biden's cabinet layout takes shape: Focus on experience, professionalism, and distinctive features

  China News Service, Washington, January 11, title: Biden's cabinet layout takes shape: Focus on experience, professionalism, and distinctive features

  China News Agency reporter Chen Mengtong

  With the announcement of the candidates for the Secretary of Commerce and the Department of Labor on January 8, US President-elect Biden has basically completed the personnel arrangement of cabinet ministers and cabinet-level officials of his new government.

Data map: US President-elect Biden.

  Paying attention to diversity of experience and ethnic background has become a distinctive feature of Biden's personnel layout.

"Allow experienced people to work on the first day they take up their jobs" is the most common expression Biden has said when introducing his ruling team in the past month or so.

Distinctive characteristics: a diverse team makes history

  If the nominee is confirmed by the Senate, Biden’s new administration will give birth to the first female Treasury Secretary, the first African American Secretary of Defense, the first Latino Secretary of Homeland Security, the first Secretary of the Interior with Aboriginal descent, and the first female Director of National Intelligence.

  From a gender perspective, among the 15 Biden cabinet ministers, women accounted for one third.

If cabinet-level officials such as the White House chief of staff are added, the gender ratio in Biden's cabinet is basically the same.

The seven main positions in the White House News and Communications Team are all held by women.

  From the perspective of ethnic background, Biden’s proposed cabinet ministers and cabinet-level officials cover minorities such as African, Latino, Jewish, Chinese, and Indian.

  "This is a cabinet that looks like the United States." Upon completing the "cabinet formation", Biden stated that this is the "first cabinet ever in the history of the United States where the proportion of men and women is equal and the majority of people of color are the majority."

  The American political analysis website "FiveThirtyEight" believes that the "unprecedented" diverse team of the new U.S. cabinet shows Biden's determination to change the historical problem of underrepresentation of women and minorities in the U.S. government.

  However, the "Wall Street Journal" also reminded that if Biden overemphasizes identity politics in his administration, it may act "reversely" and cause new political differences instead.

Focus on experience: veterans return to professionalism

  Unlike the Trump administration's cabinet candidates who are mostly businessmen or rich people, Biden's tendency to focus on professionalism and experience is obvious.

He not only used a large number of "veterans" from the Obama administration, but also appointed a group of senior officials with professional knowledge background or local governance experience in the diplomatic, national security, and internal affairs teams.

  Rich experience is a distinctive feature of Biden's diplomatic team.

Secretary of State-designate Brinken served as Deputy Assistant and Deputy Secretary of State for National Security Affairs in the Obama administration; Sullivan, the Assistant to National Security Affairs, is known as the "Think Tank" of the State Department; former Secretary of State Kerry proposed to serve as the US President’s Special Envoy on Climate Change and was promoted to Member of the National Security Council.

These arrangements all show that Biden hopes to use the "veteran" to restore the United States' influence in international affairs as soon as possible.

  Biden’s ministerial nominees in the Ministry of Commerce, Labor, Energy, and Transportation all have experience in performing their duties as governor or mayor.

It can also be seen that focusing on local governance experience is a major consideration in his internal affairs.

  "It doesn't make sense to let a group of new people join now." Eric Schultz, a former senior adviser to the White House, believes that during the Trump administration, the budgets and personnel of many government departments in the United States were "emptied" and experienced "veterans" "Helping hollowed out federal agencies and departments quickly resume operations.

  There are also comments that Biden has served as a senator for more than 30 years, and his White House staff and think tanks are mostly consultants who have followed him for a long time. The practice of relying on "acquaintances" and "people around him" may make Biden lack imagination in policy making. .

On January 4, 2021, local time, New York, USA, nurse Sandra Lindsay received the second shot of the new crown virus vaccine at the Long Island Jewish Hospital.

Priority: Anti-epidemic first and economic priority

  There are 10 days left before Biden is sworn in.

The number of new coronary pneumonia infections in the United States has exceeded 22.4 million, and the number of new cases in a single day exceeded 300,000 in early 2021.

Containing the epidemic has become Biden's "top priority" after taking office.

  When Biden made his public debut with his proposed medical team in December last year, he announced three hundred-day anti-epidemic plans after taking office.

He plans to require Americans to wear masks during these 100 days, get at least 100 million doses of vaccine, and send students back to school as soon as possible.

  Biden said at the time that 100 days is not enough to end the epidemic, but it can control the spread of the virus.

He expects that in the coming year, the United States "still has a lot of work to do and there are also many difficulties."

  When introducing the economic team, Biden said that while helping to fight the epidemic, their work will rescue the American people and resolve structural inequality in the economy.

  The US "Politics" magazine believes that Yellen's career as the chairman of the Federal Reserve, as well as her understanding of monetary policy, are essential for the United States to revive the economy during the epidemic.

It also indicates that the United States will deal with the old problems of government deficits and economic development from a more macro perspective.

  "Biden's first round of personnel selections presents a familiar, pragmatic, and basically neutral picture." The New York Times commented that his economic and environmental teams are left in the center, and his foreign policy is in line with the Democratic mainstream, and the White House The staff are a group of "veterans" in Washington.

  The US media has also noticed that Warren and Sanders, who had been calling for "coming into the cabinet" before, did not enter Biden's employment list.

According to NBC analysis, the fact that the two former rivals with aggressive policy stances were not selected indicates that Biden is trying to cross parties and establish a broader political alliance.

  When Biden completed the cabinet structure, he faced a very real procedural problem.

Since the Senate will adjourn until January 19, Biden may face the embarrassment of not having internal members approved by Congress when he assumes his new role.

  According to the National Public Radio, the new president’s national security team is usually in place before the inauguration day, but the Senate currently only arranges a nomination confirmation hearing for the defense secretary-designate Austin.

"Biden will be the first president in modern American history to face such personnel issues."

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