Biden Cabinet members actions and issues: on Government Reform
Lloyd Austin:
Dismissed members of advisory boards; ordered review
Austin also dismissed hundreds of members of the Pentagon's 40 or more advisory boards and committees, ordering a review of the structure and function of the groups.
The move was largely motivated by the Trump administration stacking the boards with loyalists in its waning days.
Source: CNN, "Pentagon Chief," on Biden Cabinet
Feb 5, 2021
Merrick Garland:
The rule of law is the foundation of our democracy
Garland: The rule of law is not just some lawyer's turn of phrase. It is the very foundation of our democracy. The essence of the rule of law is that like cases are treated alike, that there not be one rule for Democrats and another for Republicans;
one rule for friends, another for foes; one rule for the powerful, another for the powerless; one rule for the rich and another for the poor; or different rules depending upon one's race or ethnicity.
Source: Democracy Now blog on 2021 Biden Cabinet
Jan 8, 2021
Pete Buttigieg:
As mayor: ask how USDOT worked rather than make demands
Beth Osborne, a top USDOT official during the Obama administration, remembered Buttigieg "set the agency on fire" when he visited the office as mayor. What set Buttigieg apart, she said, is that he spent his time
asking agency employees questions about how the department worked, rather than making demands about what he wanted them to do for him.
Source: Pennsylvania Capital-Star on Biden Cabinet
Dec 26, 2020
Deb Haaland:
DOI in 1851 threatened extermination; I'm proof he failed
Haaland would be the first Native American to lead the Interior Department, which has wielded influence over the nation's tribes for generations. "This moment is profound when we consider the fact that a former secretary of the Interior once proclaimed
his goal, was to quote, 'civilize or exterminate' us," Haaland said. "I'm a living testament to the failure of that horrific ideology." Haaland was referring to Alexander H.H. Stuart, who said that in 1851.
Source: KOB TV-4 on Biden Cabinet: Interior Department
Dec 19, 2020
Tom Vilsack:
OpEd: has friendly history with agricultural polluters
The Department of Agriculture has emerged as a hot-button office during the transition, particularly for the role it could play in mitigating the numerous harms to the environment perpetuated by agriculture. A number of progressive activists
and environmental leaders are up in arms about the pick, pointing to Vilsack's friendly history with polluters and failure to enact substantive regulation during his eight years in office.
Source: Sierra Club press release on Biden Cabinet
Dec 16, 2020
Marcia Fudge:
Filed complaint against colleagues sleeping in their offices
Along with several other members of the Congressional Black Caucus, she filed a House Ethics Committee complaint against an estimated 50 to 100 of her congressional colleagues who sleep in their offices, asking why they should sleep in
for free in a public building while they were "cutting benefits to the poor, the mentally ill, to education, to veterans housing."
Source: The Cleveland Plain-Dealer on Biden Cabinet
Dec 13, 2020
Deb Haaland:
Introduced Simplifying Outdoor Access to Recreation Act
I'm still trying to get my Simplifying Outdoor Access to Recreation (SOAR) Act through before the end of the year. SOAR is a bipartisan, bicameral bill that will make it easier for outfitters and guides to work with federal agencies, prioritize
recreation on our public lands, an promote access for those who benefit the most from outdoor experiences, such as urban populations, low-income families, underserved or at-risk communities, and servicemembers and veterans.
Source: Press release haaland.house.gov on Biden Cabinet
Dec 10, 2020
Deb Haaland:
Reconciliation in Place Names Act to remove offensive names
There are too many places and geographic features that have names that are racial slurs or derogatory terms, which make visitors uncomfortable and discourage them from enjoying the outdoors. My Reconciliation in
Place Names Act would expedite the cumbersome process we have for renaming places and create a body to recommend places to be renamed.
Source: Press release haaland.house.gov on Biden Cabinet
Dec 10, 2020
Deb Haaland:
Climate Stewardship Act, plant 15 billion trees by 2050
I'll push the natural climate solutions in my Climate Stewardship Act, which would support planting over 4 billion trees by 2030 and 15 billion trees by 2050 and restore or protect over 2 million acres of coastal wetlands by 2030.
These measures will remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it, improve coastal resilience, and provide habit for fish and wildlife, particularly those seeking refuge from the impacts of climate change. And they can be part of an economic recovery ag
Source: Press release haaland.house.gov on Biden Cabinet
Dec 10, 2020
John Kerry:
Won't overstep climate role with State Department
Even though he once ran the department, Kerry does not think that he'll step on any toes at the Department of State. Some career State Department officials have raised concerns that other world leaders will try to circumvent Blinken by going to
Kerry, a worry he dismisses. "I really respect and understand the lines that are drawn within the State Department and the administration," he said. "Tony Blinken is going to be a terrific secretary."
Source: NBC News on Biden Cabinet, "Paris climate accord"
Dec 9, 2020
Xavier Becerra:
Made structural changes at California Dept. of Justice
On Cabinet nomination "The California Justice Department is bigger than many state governments in terms of its reach and scope," said Obama HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who praised Becerra as a "smart, strategic" pick who will be able to recruit
top talent. Those who worked with him at California's DOJ praised his willingness to push for structural changes, including creating new legal teams and changing a paper resume requirement that he worried was discouraging young talent from applying.
Source: Politico.com blog on Biden Cabinet
Dec 7, 2020
Susan Rice:
Provided in-depth information during Trump transition
Former Ambassador Susan Rice frames the danger involved in depriving President-elect Joe Biden of access to top intelligence briefings normally afforded to the incoming commander in chief of our armed forces.Susan Rice recounts her own experience of
working through three transitions, including from Obama to Trump. She describes how she "laid out in depth the numerous challenges (Trump) would confront immediately--from the campaign to defeat the Islamic State to threats posed by Russia, China,
Iran and North Korea. I stressed the need to be prepared for less obvious threats, like the potentially catastrophic collapse of the Mosul Dam in Iraq and pandemic disease."
The reaction from˙Trump and his people was typical both in its arrogance
and blithe disinterest.
Rice notes that in the current "transition phase," Trump's people have denied the Biden team access to intelligence briefings with respect to national security threats, COVID-19, and related economic issues.
Source: DailyKos blog on Biden Cabinet
Nov 11, 2020
Page last updated: May 20, 2021