As President Joe Biden approaches the end of his first month in office, most of his cabinet nominees have been confirmed by the Senate and assumed their roles in the government. President Biden’s cabinet is the most diverse to date and is filled by many political veterans as well as some fresher faces in Washington. His trust in his cabinet is evident, as he has worked with many of the members under the Obama administration and elsewhere. 

The national security roles in Biden’s cabinet are occupied by experienced individuals, many of whom worked with him in his time as Vice President. His National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, served the same role for Biden during the Obama administration as well as working as the Chief of Staff to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Sullivan was a lead negotiator in talks that led to the Iran Nuclear Deal, and he aims to address the COVID-19 pandemic, better relations with China, and the repairing of relationships with U.S. allies that Donald Trump damaged during his time in office,  according to Politico. 

Biden’s Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, served as deputy Secretary of State as well as deputy National Security Adviser under the Obama Administration. He also worked with Biden on his unsuccessful 2008 presidential campaign. Blinken helped formulate U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East and worked to develop the U.S. response to the 2014 Ukrainian Revolution. 

Secretary of Defense retired General Lloyd Austin makes history as the first African American to take the position. Gen. Austin served for 41 year in the military as well as served as the head of the U.S. Central Command from 2013 to 2016.

 Alejandro Mayorkas makes history as the first immigrant and first Latino to become Director of Homeland Security. He served as deputy Director of Homeland Security during President Barack Obama’s second term and played a crucial role in developing the DACA program. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines previously served as deputy Director of the CIA and as President Obama’s principal deputy National Security Adviser. She makes history as the first woman to fill this position and is trusted and respected throughout the intelligence community, according to NPR.

The economic branch of President Biden’s cabinet has had fewer confirmations at the time of this article, but two of the most important positions have already been confirmed. Janet Yellen continued her tenure of history making appointments by becoming the first woman to be appointed Secretary of the Treasury. From 2014 to 2018, Yellen served as the first chairwoman of the central bank. Yellen will play a leading role in helping the country bounce back from economic decline caused by COVID-19, and she stresses the importance of extending relief to jobless workers and families in need. The other major confirmation in the economic branch was that of Brian Deese as Director of the National Economic Council. He previously served as a top official in the Office of Management and Budget as well as worked for BlackRock as the global head of sustainable living. 

Few other confirmations have been made, but most nominees are likely to be confirmed. Former presidential candidate and mayor of South Bend, Ind. Pete Buttigieg is now the U.S. Secretary of Transportation and is the first openly LGBT+ individual to hold the position. Because of President Biden’s promises to rebuild and improve U.S. infrastructure, Buttigieg could become an extremely important official in the near future. A final important appointment is that of Dr. Rochelle Walensky, who works as chief of infectious diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital, as well as a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. She is an expert in virus prevention and testing, and will play a key role in the administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

While other positions remain to be confirmed, it is unlikely that any will be denied, and the cabinet will soon be complete. It is unlikely that there will be as many replacements and resignations as under the Trump administration because President Biden’s picks consist nearly entirely of those he has previously worked with in other positions. President Biden’s cabinet is historically diverse and draws upon experienced individuals to fill the nation’s top roles.