Joe Biden’s Cabinet
Note: Cabinet members are listed in order of line of succession to the Presidency (excluding Sec. of Energy Jennifer Granholm who is ineligible due to country of birth).
Secretary of State:
Antony Blinken
Education: Harvard University (BA), Columbia University (JD)
Previous Experience: Deputy Secretary of State, United States Deputy National Security Advisor, National Security Advisor to Vice President Joe Biden
Fun Fact: Blinken plays the guitar and has three songs published on Spotify under the name “ABlinken.”
Secretary of the Treasury:
Janet Yellen
Education: Brown University (AB), Yale University (MA, PhD)
Previous Experience: United States Secretary of the Treasury, Chair of the Federal Reserve, Vice Chair of the Federal Reserve, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Council of Economic Advisers to President Bill Clinton
Fun Fact: First woman to ever serve as Secretary of the Treasury.
Secretary of Defense:
Lloyd Austin
Education: US Military Academy (BS), Auburn University (MA), Webster University (MBA)
Previous Experience: Commander of US Central Command, Vice Chief of Staff of US Army, Director of the Joint Staff
Fun Fact: Austin was confirmed by a vote of 93-2 in the U.S. Senate.
Attorney General:
Merrick Garland
Education: Harvard University (AB, JD)
Previous Experience: Judicial law clerk for Judge Henry J. Friendly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and for Justice William Brennan at the U.S. Supreme Court, Special assistant to Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti, Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Division of the United States Department of Justice, Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia CircuitFun Fact: Garland was nominated by President Obama to be on the Supreme Court after the death of Antonin Scalia, however Senate Republicans stopped his nomination from advancing.
Secretary of the Interior:
Debra Haaland
Education: University of New Mexico (BA, JD)
Previous Experience: Chair of Democratic Party of New Mexico Native American Caucus, Chair of the New Mexico Democratic Party, U.S. Representative for New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District
Fun Fact: Haaland is the first Native American Cabinet secretary in U.S. history.
Secretary of Agriculture:
Tom Vilsack
Education: Hamilton College (BA), Albany Law School (JD)
Previous Experience: Mayor of Mount Pleasant, Member of the Iowa Senate, Governor of Iowa, Secretary of Agriculture under President Obama
Fun Fact: Vilsack volunteered for Joe Biden’s failed 1988 presidential campaign.
Secretary of Commerce:
Gina Raimondo
Education: Harvard University (AB), New College, University of Oxford (MA, DPhil), Yale University (JD)
Previous Experience: Co-founder of Rhode Island’s first venture capital firm, Point Judith Capital, General Treasurer of Rhode Island, Governor of Rhode Island, Chair of the Democratic Governors Association
Fun Fact: Raimondo was a proponent of tax on luxury homes in Rhode Island, which was dubbed the “Taylor Swift Tax.” This was floated around due to Swift’s purchase of a 17 million dollar beachfront mansion in Westerly, RI.
Secretary of Labor:
Marty Walsh
Education: Boston College (BA)
Previous Experience: Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
from the 13th Suffolk district, Secretary-treasurer and general agent of the Boston Metropolitan District Building Trades Council, head of the Boston Building Trades, President of the Laborers’ Union Local 223, Mayor of Boston
Fun Fact: Walsh speaks the native Irish language.
Secretary of Health and Human Services:
Xavier Becerra
Education: Stanford University (BA, JD)
Previous Experience: Deputy Attorney General in the California Department of Justice, Member of the California State Assembly, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Attorney General of California
Fun Fact: Becerra was a contender for the Vice Presidency for presidential-candidate Hillary Clinton.
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development:
Marcia Fudge
Education: Ohio State University (BS), Cleveland State University (JD)
Previous Experience: Director of Budget and Finance of Cuyahoga County, Mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio, Chief of Staff to U.S. Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Served on the board of trustees for the Cleveland Public Library, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus
Fun Fact: Following the 2018 midterms, Fudge considered running for Speaker of the House. She later dropped the bid to support Nancy Pelosi.
Secretary of Transportation:
Pete Buttigieg
Education: Harvard University (AB), Pembroke College, University of Oxford (BA)
Previous Experience: Member of the Navy, Mayor of South Bend, Indiana
Fun Fact: Pete Buttigieg ran for President of the United States in 2020, and was the first LGBT person to ever win a caucus.
Secretary of Education:
Miguel Cardona
Education: Central Connecticut State University (BS), University of Connecticut (MS, SYC, EdD)
Previous Experience: Fourth grade teacher, Principal, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, Education Commissioner of Connecticut
Fun Fact: Cardona is the first Latino Secretary of Education and was the youngest principal in Connecticut history for 10 years.
Secretary of Energy:
Jennifer Granholm
Education: University of California, Berkeley (BA), Harvard University (JD)
Previous Experience: Governor of Michigan, Attorney General of Michigan
Fun Fact: Granholm was born in Canada, so although she would be eligible to be in the line of succession to the presidency, she is not, due to her place of birth. She also attended Del Mar High School in San Jose!
Secretary of Veterans Affairs:
Denis McDonough
Education: St. John’s University Minnesota (BA), Georgetown University (MS)
Previous Experience: Deputy National Security Advisor, White House Chief of Staff
Fun Fact: McDonough briefly taught high school in Belize.
Secretary of Homeland Security:
Alejandro Mayorkas
Education: University of California, Berkeley (BA), Loyola Marymount University (JD)
Previous Experience: United States Attorney for the Central District of California, Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, United States Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
Fun Fact: Mayorkas is the first immigrant and first Latino to lead this department.