Biden names acting agency heads as his Cabinet nominees remain unconfirmed
President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced a slate of acting agency heads after taking office without a single one of his Cabinet nominees in place and confirmed by the US Senate.
“These individuals, nearly all of whom are career civil servants, will temporarily lead federal agencies while Cabinet nominees continue moving through the confirmation process,” White House officials said in a statement.
The Biden team had previously declined to publicly announce the officials who would take over departments in a temporary capacity because of concerns the Trump administration could attempt to thwart or complicate their work.
White House correspondent Peter Doocy reports on the President Joe Biden s speech and agenda on day one of the new administration.
President Biden unveiled a list of officials on Wednesday who will serve as the interim heads of government agencies in the early days of his administration.
The officials will run their respective agencies until Biden’s slate of nominees can be vetted and approved in the Senate. Some officials, such as Retired Gen. Lloyd Austin, Biden’s choice to serve as secretary of defense, have already appeared before the Senate, while others are slated to do so in the coming days.
Nearly two dozen career civil servants have been named by the Biden administration to temporarily lead the nation's federal agencies in the next phase of the transition of government.
Maj. Gen. William Walker, the commanding general of the D.C. National Guard overseeing the military mobilization for Joe Biden’s inauguration, graduated from St. Sabina, Leo, UIC and Chicago State.
Biden team outlines plan for first 10 days of presidency
President-elect Joe Biden will sign dozens of executive orders on his first day in office reversing key Trump Administration policies on issues from immigration to climate change, Biden’s transition team announced Saturday.
On Wednesday, the day Biden is inaugurated as president, his executive actions will include:
Asking the Department of Education to extend the pause on student loan payments and interests on federal student loans
Rejoin the Paris Agreement, which focuses on goals to help mitigate climate change
Reverse the travel ban for Muslim-majority countries
He will also enact orders that address the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic. As president, he will launch his 100 Day Masking Challenge, which includes a mask mandate on federal property and inter-state travel. He will also extend nationwide restrictions on evictions and foreclosures.