Former National Economic Council Director Jeff Zients and former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy are the top contenders to lead the Biden administration’s pandemic response.
[Transition Tracker Daily by Ballotpedia]
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** WELCOME TO BALLOTPEDIA'S TRANSITION TRACKER
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** DECEMBER 3, 2020
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Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) is the projected winner of the 2020 presidential election. The Electoral College will meet on December 14, 2020, to vote for the next president of the United States.
In 2016, there were 1,714 government positions subject to presidential appointment: 1,242 positions required Senate confirmation and 472 did not. Every weekday, Ballotpedia is tracking potential Cabinet nominees, appointments, and news related to the Biden presidential transition.
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** NEWS
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* ___The Washington Post _identified ([link removed]) former National Economic Council Director Jeff Zients and former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy as the top two contenders for a White House senior position focused on the administration’s pandemic response.
* ___Politico _reported ([link removed]) that Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo ([link removed]) is now favored to be secretary of health and human services over New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. Murthy was also in consideration but “his candidacy for the HHS job has been dented by concerns over his lack of management experience,” according to ___Politico_.
* Biden does not plan ([link removed]) to remove FBI Director Christopher Wray—appointed by Trump in 2017—if he is still in the post when Biden’s administration begins. Biden is also considering former Deputy Director of the CIA David S. Cohen for the top spot at the CIA, _The New York Times _reported.
* Rep. Mo Brooks ([link removed]) (R-Ala.) said that he planned to challenge ([link removed]) the Electoral College vote when Congress certifies it on January 6, 2021. To initiate deliberation on the matter, a senator would also need to join the challenge.
* Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) recommended ([link removed]) two Democratic Iowans for secretary of agriculture on Wednesday: former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp and Rep. Collin Peterson.
* Harris has named ([link removed]) Hartina Flournoy as chief of staff to the vice president. Flournoy is currently the chief of staff to former President Bill Clinton.
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** TRANSITION IN CONTEXT: WHERE DOES THE CABINET COME FROM?
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The formation of the Cabinet is rooted in Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, which states that the president “may require the opinion, in writing, of the principal officer in each of the executive departments, upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices.”
The Cabinet includes the vice president and the leaders of 15 executive departments: Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs.
Several other positions have become Cabinet-rank over the years, although not all administrations include the same set of offices.
The Trump administration ([link removed]) , for example, currently identifies the following Cabinet-rank positions:
* White House chief of staff
* Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
* Director of the Office of Management and Budget
* U.S. trade representative
* Director of the CIA
* Director of national intelligence
* Administrator of the Small Business Administration
The Obama administration ([link removed]) included all of the above positions in its Cabinet, except for director of the CIA and director of national intelligence. It also identified the chair of the Council of Economic Advisors and the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations as Cabinet-rank.
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** WHAT WE'RE READING
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* Politico: Climate purity tests for Biden nominees split enviros ([link removed])
* Los Angeles Times: Some federal judges plan to retire when Trump exits. Will Biden be able to replace them? ([link removed])
* USA Today: Jockeying for jobs: Tensions simmer inside Biden transition as new administration takes shape ([link removed])
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