National Security Adviser
Jake Sullivan
No Confirmation needed
Announced Nov. 23, 2020
The position: Top adviser to the president on national security policy and related decisions.
The person: Jake Sullivan was national security adviser to Biden during the Obama administration. He was also deputy chief of staff to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Sullivan was a lead negotiator in talks that led to the Iran nuclear deal.
Secretary of State
Antony Blinken
Confirmed by Senate
(Vote: 78-22)
Announced Nov. 23, 2020
Confirmed Jan. 26, 2021
The position: Leads foreign policy and diplomacy for the president around the world.
The person: Antony Blinken was deputy secretary of state and deputy national security adviser during the Obama adminstration. Blinken also advised Biden on national security when he was vice president. The two worked together when Biden served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Secretary of Defense
Retired Gen. Lloyd Austin
Confirmed by Senate
(Vote: 93-2)
Announced Dec. 8, 2020
Confirmed Jan. 22, 2021
The position: Advises the president on national defense and oversees the U.S. military.
The person: Lloyd Austin is a retired U.S. Army four-star general who served in the military for 41 years. From 2013 until 2016, he was head of U.S. Central Command. Austin is the first African American secretary of defense.
Secretary of Homeland Security
Alejandro Mayorkas
Confirmed by Senate
(Vote: 56-43)
Announced Nov. 23, 2020
Confirmed Feb. 2, 2021
The position: Advises the president on security issues within the United States. In charge of immigration and border-related issues; the Coast Guard; the Federal Emergency Management Agency; counterterrorism; aviation security and cybersecurity.
The person: Alejandro Mayorkas was deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security during Obama's second term. Earlier, he was Obama's director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services from 2009 to 2013. Mayorkas is the first immigrant and first Latino to hold the position.
Director of National Intelligence
Avril Haines
Confirmed by Senate
(Vote: 84-10)
Announced Nov. 23, 2020
Confirmed Jan. 20, 2021
The position: Leads the intelligence community across 17 agencies and organizations, and advises the president on national security issues.
The person: Avril Haines was Obama's principal deputy national security adviser and deputy director of the CIA. She worked for Biden when he was chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Haines is the first woman to head national intelligence.
Ambassador to the United Nations
Linda Thomas-Greenfield
Confirmed by Senate
(Vote: 78-20)
Announced Nov. 23, 2020
Confirmed Feb. 23, 2021
The position: Represents the president at the United Nations. Advises on international affairs.
The person: Linda Thomas-Greenfield is a career diplomat with more than three decades of experience. She was the assistant secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs and as the U.S. ambassador to Liberia among many other postings.
CIA Director
William Burns
Confirmed by Senate
(Vote: Unanimous consent)
Announced Jan. 11, 2021
Confirmed March 18, 2021
The position: Provides foreign intelligence to the president.
The person: William Burns was most recently president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a think tank. He had a 33-year career in the foreign service, including serving as ambassador to Russia and earlier to Jordan.
Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development
Samantha Power
Confirmation needed
Announced Jan. 13, 2021
The position: Works with State Department and National Security Council to direct foreign and humanitarian aid.
The person: Samantha Power was Obama's ambassador to the United Nations and earlier was part of his National Security Council focused on human rights issues. She is a former war correspondent who covered Bosnia and a Pulitzer-prize winning writer about genocide.
Deputy Secretary of State
Wendy Sherman
Confirmation needed
Announced Jan. 16, 2021
The position: Assists Secretary of State on all aspects of foreign policy.
The person: Wendy Sherman led negotiations for the Iran deal during the Obama administration as an under secretary for political affairs. If confirmed, she will be the first woman to be the deputy secretary of state.