Attorney General
Merrick Garland
Confirmed by Senate
(Vote: 70-30)
Announced Jan. 7, 2021
Confirmed March 10, 2021
The position: Top legal official in the federal government. Advises the White House on legal and judicial matters.
The person: Merrick Garland is a former federal appeals court judge. During his career inside the Justice Department, he oversaw the prosecution of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. In 2016, then-President Barack Obama nominated Garland for the Supreme Court, but Senate Republicans did not give his nomination a hearing.
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Xavier Becerra
Confirmed by Senate
(Vote: 50-49)
Announced Dec. 7, 2020
Confirmed March 18, 2021
The position: Advises on health policy. Oversees the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health, among other divisions.
The person: Xavier Becerra was California's attorney general and a former congressman. He led a coalition of states in a legal defense of the Affordable Care Act in the Supreme Court. Becerra is the first Latino to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Marcia Fudge
Confirmed by Senate
(Vote: 66-34)
Announced Dec. 10, 2020
Confirmed March 10, 2021
The position: Advises on housing policy, focused on improving housing affordability and accessibility. Oversees mortgage and loan insurance through the Federal Housing Administration.
The person: Former U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge of Ohio had served in the House of Representatives since 2008 and was a past chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. Fudge is also a former mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio.
Secretary of Agriculture
Tom Vilsack
Confirmed by Senate
(Vote: 92-7)
Announced Dec. 10, 2020
Confirmed Feb. 23, 2021
The position: Advises on food production and agricultural issues and oversees food assistance programs.
The person: Tom Vilsack, a former Iowa governor, was also secretary of agriculture during both terms of the Obama administration. In between then and now, he was CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council.
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Denis McDonough
Confirmed by Senate
(Vote: 87-7)
Announced Dec. 10, 2020
Confirmed Feb. 8, 2021
The position: Advises on federal government services for veterans, including health care and financial and educational benefits.
The person: Denis McDonough was chief of staff to former President Barack Obama from 2013 to 2017 and previously was Obama's principal deputy national security adviser. Earlier, he was a senior staff member in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
Secretary of Labor
Marty Walsh
Confirmed by Senate
(Vote: 68-29)
Announced Jan. 7, 2021
Confirmed March 22, 2021
The position: Advises on workplace wage and safety policies.
The person: Marty Walsh was most recently mayor of Boston. Previously, he served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and earlier he was a union president. Walsh has focused on issues such as raising the minimum wage, paid family leave and clean energy.
Secretary of Transportation
Pete Buttigieg
Confirmed by Senate
(Vote: 86-13)
Announced Dec. 15, 2020
Confirmed Feb. 2, 2021
The position: Advises on transportation policy. Oversees regulators for aviation, highways, railways, pipelines and others.
The person: Pete Buttigieg was the mayor of South Bend, Ind., from 2012 to 2020. He ran in the 2020 Democratic primaries and endorsed Biden after withdrawing in March. Buttigieg was an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2014. Buttigieg is the first openly LGBTQ person in U.S. history to have a permanent Cabinet role.
Secretary of Energy
Jennifer Granholm
Confirmed by Senate
(Vote: 64-35)
Announced Dec. 17, 2020
Confirmed Feb. 25, 2021
The position: Advises on energy policy. Oversees the nuclear weapons stockpile.
The person: Jennifer Granholm was the governor of Michigan from 2003 to 2011, and worked with the state's auto industry during the financial crisis, with a focus on clean energy development. Earlier, she served one term as the state's attorney general.
Secretary of the Interior
Deb Haaland
Confirmed by Senate
(Vote: 51-40)
Announced Dec. 17, 2020
Confirmed March 15, 2021
The position: Oversees public and federal lands and their natural resources, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the National Park Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service.
The person: Deb Haaland of New Mexico is the first Native American person in a Cabinet role. Previously, she was elected to the House of Representatives in 2019, one of the first two Native American women to serve in Congress.
Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency
Michael Regan
Confirmed by Senate
(Vote: 66-34)
Announced Dec. 17, 2020
Confirmed March 10, 2021
The position: Advises on climate and environmental issues and enforces environmental laws.
The person: Michael Regan led North Carolina's Department of Environmental Quality, focusing on coal ash and perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, cleanups. He earlier worked for the Environmental Protection Agency during the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations, focusing on air quality initiatives.
Secretary of Education
Miguel Cardona
Confirmed by Senate
(Vote: 64-33)
Announced Dec. 22, 2020
Confirmed March 1, 2021
The position: Advises on education policy. Oversees financial aid for students.
The person: Miguel Cardona was the education commissioner of Connecticut, beginning in August 2019. A former teacher, he was assistant superintendent in the district where he went to school himself and where he started his career.
Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy
Eric Lander
Confirmation needed
Announced Jan. 15, 2021
The position: Recommends broad direction for the president's science and technology policy.
The person: Dr. Eric Lander leads one of the world's top biomedical research institutes and was one of the principal leaders of the Human Genome Project. He also advised the Obama administration on science and technology issues. Biden is elevating the OSTP director position to the Cabinet for the first time.