Susan Rice, Pat Dennis McDonough and Tom Felsack .. 5 prominent names in the Obama administration dating back to Biden's team
US President-elect Joe Biden put forward five of the biggest candidates for his new administration, relying on prominent names from the White House during the administration of former President Barack Obama.
In an afternoon event, Biden revealed who had chosen him for the White House domestic policy advisor: Susan Rice, who served as President Barack Obama's national security advisor and US ambassador to the United Nations. Dennis McDonough, the Obama White House chief of staff, is now the candidate for the veteran affairs secretary.
Biden was also chosen for the post of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who held the same position in the Obama administration. Ohio State Representative Marcia Fudge was chosen to be the housing secretary in the new administration. Catherine Tay, Senior Trade Adviser to the House Ways and Means Committee, was chosen as the United States' Trade Representative.
Obama was first elected on promises to transcend party politics, but he saw some major policy goals clash with an uncooperative Congress, especially after the Republican gains in the 2010 by-election.
Some progressive Democrats are now concerned that Biden is drawing too much from the Obama team, which they felt should have been more aggressive in their efforts to reshape the government.
In the context, Mark Riedel, the Democratic strategist who established a pro-Biden group during the 2020 presidential campaign, said there was no risk of relying too heavily on former Obama administration leaders. But he advised Biden's team to prioritize controlling the coronavirus pandemic enough to stimulate economic growth, rather than engaging in debates about social policies that would allow Congressional Republicans to block blanket political initiatives more easily.
As Riedel said: "The success or failure of management will be to think outside the box. Do they focus on jobs?"
Rice, previously thought to have become Biden's final choice to run with him as vice president before Biden settles on Kamala Harris, is set to have a far-reaching influence on the incoming administration's approach to immigration, healthcare and racial inequality. She worked closely with Biden while he was Obama's deputy.
McDonough was tasked with running a large agency that has presented organizational challenges to both parties over the years. Filsack, a former governor of Iowa, is expected to guide agricultural policy with a focus on major agricultural states, similar to what he did with Obama.
Fudge is choosing Biden to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development although some prominent African American Democrats in Congress are urging him to appoint her Minister of Agriculture - thus rethinking how the federal government will fight hunger issues nationwide.
Rice and Fudge are African Americans and Thai Asian Americans, reflecting Biden's promise to choose a diverse cabinet that reflects the make-up of the country.
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