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US President-elect Joe Biden presented several of his national security candidates on Tuesday, marking a reversal of President Donald Trump’s “America First” foreign policy by saying his choices “embody my core beliefs that America is more strong when he works with his allies “.
Biden officially unveiled his national security team on Tuesday, including his candidates for secretary of state and secretary of national security, publicizing not only their experience but also their diversity. Her roster includes more women and people of color, some of whom are breaking historical barriers in their positions.
“[W]While this team has unrivaled experience and results, they also reflect the idea that we cannot address these challenges with old thinking and unchanged habits, “Biden said.” For example, we will have the first woman to lead the community. ‘intelligence, the first Latina and immigrant to lead the Department of Homeland Security and a revolutionary diplomat at the United Nations “.
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris added, “When Joe asked me to be his running mate, he told me about his commitment to making sure we have selected a government that looks like America that reflects the best of our nation, and it’s what we did.. “
President-elect Joe Biden is with his candidates for his national security team, a diverse and expert list of choices [Joshua Roberts/Reuters]
Biden’s emerging government marks a return to a more traditional approach to government, relying on veteran politicians with deep experience and strong relationships in Washington, DC and global capitals.
“It’s a team that reflects the fact that America is back, ready to lead the world, not to retreat,” Biden said.
Appointed longtime adviser Antony Blinken as secretary of state; the lawyer Alejandro Mayorkas, Latin American, secretary of national security; Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a black woman, United States Ambassador to the United Nations; and Jake Sullivan as National Security Advisor. Avril Haines, former deputy director of the CIA, was chosen as director of national intelligence, the first woman to fill the post. And former Secretary of State John Kerry has been appointed to a new cabinet-level position as Biden’s envoy for climate change.
The best known is Kerry, who made climate change one of his priorities while serving as Barack Obama’s secretary of state, during which he also negotiated the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris climate agreement. Trump withdrew from both deals, which he said represented a failure of US diplomacy in a direct criticism of Kerry, whom he called the worst secretary of state in US history.
Blinken, 58, was Deputy Secretary of State and Deputy National Security Advisor during the Obama administration.
He served on the National Security Council under President Bill Clinton before becoming Director of Staff on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when Biden was chairman of the panel. In the early years of the Obama administration, Blinken returned to the board and served as Biden’s national security adviser when Biden was vice president, then moved to the State Department to serve as Kerry’s deputy.
“America, at its best, still has a greater capacity than any other country on Earth to bring others together to meet the challenges of our time,” Blinken said Tuesday. “And this is where the men and women of the State Department, the officials of the Foreign Service, the civil service come into play. I witnessed their passion, their energy, their courage up close. I see what they do to keep us safe, to make us richer. “
Blinken’s remarks come after a tumultuous time for the State Department and career diplomats under Trump. The department has seen a significant number of dropouts from its ranks in recent years as many diplomats have chosen to retire or leave foreign service given the limited prospects for advancement under an administration they felt did not appreciate their experience.
In announcing his choices, Biden has pushed forward plans to complete his administration even as Trump refuses to admit defeat in the November 3 election, has pursued baseless legal challenges in several key states and has worked to hinder the transition. .
However, Trump said on Monday he was directing his team to collaborate on the transition as he pledged to continue the fight. His comment came after the General Services Administration ascertained that Biden was the apparent winner of the election, paving the way for the transition from the Trump administration to begin and allowing Biden to coordinate with federal agencies on plans. for collection on January 20.
More announcements coming soon
In the weeks to come, Biden could also name Michele Flournoy as the first woman to head the US Department of Defense. Pete Buttigieg, a former mayor of Indiana and one-time presidential candidate, was also mentioned as a contender for a government seat.
Outside the realm of national security and foreign policy, Biden is expected to choose Janet Yellen as the first woman to become secretary to the treasury, according to the Wall Street Journal and the Associated Press. She was appointed by President Barack Obama to lead the Federal Reserve, the first woman in that position, and served from 2014 to 2018.
All of Biden’s cabinet choices must be confirmed by the US Senate, which could be under Republican control if that party’s candidates manage to win one of two Georgia ballot elections on January 5.
Among Tuesday’s harvests, Mayorkas could pose the toughest confirmation challenge for Biden.
The Senate had previously confirmed Mayorkas in December 2013 with an online party vote as deputy secretary of national security. The Senate was then controlled by the Democrats, and all Republicans in the Senate voted against Mayorkas’ confirmation, mainly because he was then under investigation by the Obama-appointed Inspector General in that department. At the time, the Senate Historian’s Office said it was unprecedented for the Senate to vote on a candidate who was under investigation.
Inspector General John Roth discovered in March 2015 that Mayorkas, as director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services, appeared to be giving special treatment to certain people as part of the visa program that gives the residence preference for immigrants who agree to invest in the US economy.
Meanwhile, Republican Senator Marco Rubio, who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that will consider Blinken’s appointment, has essentially written the early selections as uninteresting.
“Biden’s cabinet picks have gone to Ivy League schools, they have great resumes, attend all the right conferences and will be polite and orderly stewards of America’s decline,” tweeted Rubio.
Biden’s cabinet picks have gone to Ivy League schools, have great resumes, attend all the right conferences, and will be polite and orderly custodians of America’s decline
I support American greatness
And I have no interest in returning to “normalcy” that has left us addicted to China
– Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) November 24, 2020
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