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He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient;

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and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint...Judges of the supreme Court...

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Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States; If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated...

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He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors

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Thursday we read through the 1st paragraph of Article 2 Section 1 of the Constitution identifying the expressed powers and expanding on understanding them and the powers inherent with the role of President based on those powers. Today you will review those powers and then finish looking at and understanding the President's expressed powers.

You will first need to make a copy of this padlet to begin. For each column you will read the Constitution clause and then research online to find either a tweet or news article to provide as an example of that power. You will link to the tweet or article and write a brief explanation of the power and how the President is exercising it.

Commander-in-Chief is done for you as an example. Once you are done you will click on the share button and copy the url to post into the Canvas assignment. This assignment is to be completed individually.

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and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

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...he 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

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The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States;

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The President as Commander, has the inherent power to order the military to carry out operations such as shooting down balloons or moving troops around the world.

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SURFSIDE BEACH, S.C., Feb 4 (Reuters) - A U.S. military fighter jet shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday, a week after it first entered U.S. airspace and triggered a dramatic -- and public -- spying saga that worsened Sino-U.S. relations.

President Joe Biden said he had issued an order on Wednesday to take down the balloon, but the Pentagon had recommended waiting until it could be done over open water to safeguard civilians from debris crashing to Earth from thousands of feet (meters) above commercial air traffic.

"They successfully took it down, and I want to compliment our aviators who did it," Biden said.

Multiple fighter and refueling aircraft were involved in the mission, but only one -- an F-22 fighter jet from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia -- took the shot at 2:39 p.m. (1939 GMT), using a single AIM-9X supersonic, heat-seeking, air-to-air missile, a senior U.S. military official said.

China strongly condemned the military strike on an airship that it says was used for meteorological and other scientific purposes, and which it said had strayed into U.S. airspace "completely accidentally" -- claims flatly dismissed by U.S. officials.

"China had clearly asked the U.S. to handle this properly in a calm, professional and restrained manner," China's foreign ministry said in a statement. "The U.S. had insisted on using force, obviously overreacting."

The balloon was shot down about six nautical miles off the U.S. coast of the Atlantic Ocean, over relatively shallow water, potentially aiding efforts to recover elements of the Chinese surveillance equipment over the coming days, U.S. officials said.

One U.S. military official said the debris field was spread out over seven miles (11 km) of ocean, and multiple U.S. military vessels were on site.

The downing of the balloon came shortly after the U.S. government ordered a halt to flights in and out of three airports in South Carolina -- Wilmington, Myrtle Beach and Charleston -- due to what it said at the time was an undisclosed "national security effort." Flights resumed on Saturday afternoon.

While Saturday's shootdown concludes the military dimension to the spying saga, Biden is likely to continue to face intense political scrutiny from Republican opponents in Congress who argue he failed to act quickly enough.

A senior administration official said after shooting down the balloon, the U.S. government spoke directly with China about the action. The State Department also briefed allies and partners around the world, the official said.

Questions remain about how much information China may have gathered during the balloon's trek across the United States.

The balloon entered U.S. airspace in Alaska on Jan. 28 before moving into Canadian airspace on Jan 30. It then re-entered U.S. airspace over northern Idaho on Jan. 31, a U.S. defense official said. Once it crossed over U.S. land, it did not return to open waters, making a shootdown difficult.

U.S. officials did not publicly disclose the balloon's presence over the United States until Thursday.

"It's clear the Biden administration had hoped to hide this national security failure from Congress and the American people," said U.S. Representative Mike Rogers, a Republican who leads the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee.

Biden's emphasis on Saturday that -- days ago -- he ordered the balloon shot down as soon as possible could be an effort to respond to such critics.

Former President Donald Trump, Biden's potential rival in the 2024 election, called earlier this week for the balloon to be shot down, and has sought to portray himself as stronger than Biden on China. The U.S. relationship with China is likely to be a major theme of the 2024 presidential race.

Washington had called the balloon's appearance a "clear violation" of U.S. sovereignty and notified Beijing about the shootdown on Saturday, a U.S. official said.

Still, officials on Saturday appeared to play down the balloon's impact on U.S. national security.

"Our assessment -- and we're going to learn more as we pick up the debris -- was that it was not likely to provide significant additive value over and above other (Chinese) intel capability, such as satellites in low-Earth orbit," the senior U.S. defense official said.

A Reuters photographer who witnessed the shootdown said a stream came from a jet and hit the balloon, but there was no explosion. It then began to fall.

The Pentagon assesses that the balloon was part of a fleet of Chinese spy balloons. On Friday, it said another Chinese balloon was flying over Latin America.

"Over the past several years, Chinese balloons have previously been spotted over countries across five continents, including in East Asia, South Asia and Europe," the U.S. official said.

The suspected spy balloon prompted Secretary of State Antony Blinken to postpone a visit to China this week that had been expected to start on Friday.

The postponement of Blinken's trip, which had been agreed to in November by Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, was a blow to those who saw it as an overdue opportunity to stabilize an increasingly fractious relationship between the two countries.

China is keen for a stable U.S. relationship so it can focus on its economy, battered by the now-abandoned zero-COVID policy and neglected by foreign investors alarmed by what they see as a return of state intervention in the market.

Reporting by Randall Hill in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, and Phil Stewart, Steve Holland, Jeff Mason and David Shepardson in Washington; Additional reporting by Ryan Woo in Beijing; Writing by Phil Stewart and Diane Bartz; Editing by Daniel Wallis, Marguerita Choy, Leslie Adler, Sandra Maler and William Mallard

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Phil Stewart

Thomson Reuters

Phil Stewart has reported from more than 60 countries, including Afghanistan, Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, China and South Sudan. An award-winning Washington-based national security reporter, Phil has appeared on NPR, PBS NewsHour, Fox News and other programs and moderated national security events, including at the Reagan National Defense Forum and the German Marshall Fund. He is a recipient of the Edwin M. Hood Award for Diplomatic Correspondence and the Joe Galloway Award.

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U.S. fighter jet shoots down suspected Chinese spy balloon

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SURFSIDE BEACH, S.C., Feb 4 (Reuters) - A U.S. military fighter jet shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday, a week after it first entered U.S. airspace and triggered a dramatic -- and public -- spying saga that worsened Sino-U.S. relations.

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the president as chief diplomat had proposed/made a nuclear treaty with Russia as is his expressed power in the constitution and since at least 2/3rds of senators agreed or signed on this treaty it became a legitimate treaty.

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Barack Obama signs nuclear treaty with Russia

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• US and Russian presidents meet in Prague • Arms treaty will slash two countries’ nuclear arsenals by a third

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the president used his expressed judicial power to pardon multiple people of crimes committed relieving them of any punishment or sentence they were given.

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Here Are Some of the People Trump Pardoned

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Steve Bannon, Anthony Levandowski and Lil Wayne were among those granted clemency in the final hours of the Trump administration. The former president did not announce pardons for himself or his children.

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the president as chief legislator is required to update congress from time to time with information of current u.s. affairs and normally also boasts about his accomplishments so far in office

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The United States Capitol

Mr. Speaker. Madam Vice President. Our First Lady and Second Gentleman.

Members of Congress and the Cabinet. Leaders of our military.

Mr. Chief Justice, Associate Justices, and retired Justices of the Supreme Court.

And you, my fellow Americans.

I start tonight by congratulating the members of the 118th Congress and the new Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working together.

I also want to congratulate the new leader of the House Democrats and the first Black House Minority Leader in history, Hakeem Jeffries.

Congratulations to the longest serving Senate Leader in history, Mitch McConnell.

And congratulations to Chuck Schumer for another term as Senate Majority Leader, this time with an even bigger majority.

And I want to give special recognition to someone who I think will be considered the greatest Speaker in the history of this country, Nancy Pelosi.

The story of America is a story of progress and resilience. Of always moving forward. Of never giving up.

A story that is unique among all nations.

We are the only country that has emerged from every crisis stronger than when we entered it.

That is what we are doing again.

Two years ago, our economy was reeling.

As I stand here tonight, we have created a record 12 million new jobs, more jobs created in two years than any president has ever created in four years.

Two years ago, COVID had shut down our businesses, closed our schools, and robbed us of so much.

Today, COVID no longer controls our lives.

And two years ago, our democracy faced its greatest threat since the Civil War.

Today, though bruised, our democracy remains unbowed and unbroken.

As we gather here tonight, we are writing the next chapter in the great American story, a story of progress and resilience. When world leaders ask me to define America, I define our country in one word: Possibilities.

You know, we're often told that Democrats and Republicans can't work together.

But over these past two years, we proved the cynics and the naysayers wrong.

Yes, we disagreed plenty. And yes, there were times when Democrats had to go it alone.

But time and again, Democrats and Republicans came together.

Came together to defend a stronger and safer Europe.

Came together to pass a once-in-a-generation infrastructure law, building bridges to connect our nation and people.

Came together to pass one of the most significant laws ever, helping veterans exposed to toxic burn pits.

In fact, I signed over 300 bipartisan laws since becoming President. From reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, to the Electoral Count Reform Act, to the Respect for Marriage Act that protects the right to marry the person you love.

To my Republican friends, if we could work together in the last Congress, there is no reason we can't work together in this new Congress.

The people sent us a clear message. Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for the sake of power, conflict for the sake of conflict, gets us nowhere.

And that's always been my vision for our country.

To restore the soul of the nation.

To rebuild the backbone of America, the middle class.

To unite the country.

We've been sent here to finish the job.

For decades, the middle class was hollowed out.

Too many good-paying manufacturing jobs moved overseas. Factories at home closed down.

Once-thriving cities and towns became shadows of what they used to be.

And along the way, something else was lost.

Pride. That sense of self-worth.

I ran for President to fundamentally change things, to make sure the economy works for everyone so we can all feel pride in what we do.

To build an economy from the bottom up and the middle out, not from the top down. Because when the middle class does well, the poor have a ladder up and the wealthy still do very well. We all do well.

As my Dad used to say, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It's about your dignity. It's about respect. It's about being able to look your kid in the eye and say, "Honey -it's going to be OK," and mean it.

So, let's look at the results. Unemployment rate at 3.4%, a 50-year low. Near record low unemployment for Black and Hispanic workers.

We've already created 800,000 good-paying manufacturing jobs, the fastest growth in 40 years.

Where is it written that America can't lead the world in manufacturing again?

For too many decades, we imported products and exported jobs.

Now, thanks to all we've done, we're exporting American products and creating American jobs.

Inflation has been a global problem because of the pandemic that disrupted supply chains and Putin's war that disrupted energy and food supplies.

But we're better positioned than any country on Earth.

We have more to do, but here at home, inflation is coming down.

Here at home, gas prices are down $1.50 a gallon since their peak.

Food inflation is coming down.

Inflation has fallen every month for the last six months while take home pay has gone up.

Additionally, over the last two years, a record 10 million Americans applied to start a new small business.

Every time somebody starts a small business, it's an act of hope.

And the Vice President will continue her work to ensure more small businesses can access capital and the historic laws we enacted.

Standing here last year, I shared with you a story of American genius and possibility.

Semiconductors, the small computer chips the size of your fingertip that power everything from cellphones to automobiles, and so much more. These chips were invented right here in America.

America used to make nearly 40% of the world's chips.

But in the last few decades, we lost our edge and we're down to producing only 10%. We all saw what happened during the pandemic when chip factories overseas shut down.

Today's automobiles need up to 3,000 chips each, but American automakers couldn't make enough cars because there weren't enough chips.

Car prices went up. So did everything from refrigerators to cellphones.

We can never let that happen again.

That's why we came together to pass the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act.

We're making sure the supply chain for America begins in America.

We've already created 800,000 manufacturing jobs even without this law.

With this new law, we will create hundreds of thousands of new jobs across the country.

That's going to come from companies that have announced more than $300 billion in investments in American manufacturing in the last two years.

Outside of Columbus, Ohio, Intel is building semiconductor factories on a thousand acres - a literal field of dreams.

That'll create 10,000 jobs. 7,000 construction jobs. 3,000 jobs once the factories are finished.

Jobs paying $130,000 a year, and many don't require a college degree.

Jobs where people don't have to leave home in search of opportunity.

And it's just getting started.

Think about the new homes, new small businesses, and so much more that will come to life.

Talk to mayors and Governors, Democrats and Republicans, and they'll tell you what this means to their communities.

We're seeing these fields of dreams transform the heartland.

But to maintain the strongest economy in the world, we also need the best infrastructure in the world.

We used to be #1 in the world in infrastructure, then we fell to #13th.

Now we're coming back because we came together to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the largest investment in infrastructure since President Eisenhower's Interstate Highway System.

Already, we've funded over 20,000 projects, including at major airports from Boston to Atlanta to Portland.

These projects will put hundreds of thousands of people to work rebuilding our highways, bridges, railroads, tunnels, ports and airports, clean water, and high-speed internet across America.

Urban. Suburban. Rural. Tribal.

And we're just getting started. I sincerely thank my Republican friends who voted for the law.

And to my Republican friends who voted against it but still ask to fund projects in their districts, don't worry.

I promised to be the president for all Americans.

We'll fund your projects. And I'll see you at the ground-breaking.

This law will help further unite all of America.

Major projects like the Brent Spence bridge between Kentucky and Ohio over the Ohio River. Built 60 years ago. Badly in need of repairs.

One of the nation's most congested freight routes carrying $2 billion worth of freight every day. Folks have been talking about fixing it for decades, but we're finally going to get it done.

I went there last month with Democrats and Republicans from both states to deliver $1.6 billion for this project.

While I was there, I met an ironworker named Sara, who is here tonight.

For 30 years, she's been a proud member of Ironworkers Local 44, known as the "cowboys of the sky" who built the Cincinnati skyline.

Sara said she can't wait to be ten stories above the Ohio River building that new bridge. That's pride.

That's what we're also building - Pride.

We're also replacing poisonous lead pipes that go into 10 million homes and 400,000 schools and childcare centers, so every child in America can drink clean water.

We're making sure that every community has access to affordable, high-speed internet.

No parent should have to drive to a McDonald's parking lot so their kid can do their homework online.

And when we do these projects, we're going to Buy American.

Buy American has been the law of the land since 1933. But for too long, past administrations have found ways to get around it.

Not anymore.

Tonight, I'm also announcing new standards to require all construction materials used in federal infrastructure projects to be made in America.

American-made lumber, glass, drywall, fiber optic cables.

And on my watch, American roads, American bridges, and American highways will be made with American products.

My economic plan is about investing in places and people that have been forgotten. Amid the economic upheaval of the past four decades, too many people have been left behind or treated like they're invisible.

Maybe that's you, watching at home.

You remember the jobs that went away. And you wonder whether a path even exists anymore for you and your children to get ahead without moving away.

I get it.

That's why we're building an economy where no one is left behind.

Jobs are coming back, pride is coming back, because of the choices we made in the last two years. This is a blue-collar blueprint to rebuild America and make a real difference in your lives.

For example, too many of you lay in bed at night staring at the ceiling, wondering what will happen if your spouse gets cancer, your child gets sick, or if something happens to you.

Will you have the money to pay your medical bills? Will you have to sell the house?

I get it. With the Inflation Reduction Act that I signed into law, we're taking on powerful interests to bring your health care costs down so you can sleep better at night.

You know, we pay more for prescription drugs than any major country on Earth.

For example, one in ten Americans has diabetes.

Every day, millions need insulin to control their diabetes so they can stay alive. Insulin has been around for 100 years. It costs drug companies just $10 a vial to make.

But, Big Pharma has been unfairly charging people hundreds of dollars - and making record profits.

Not anymore.

We capped the cost of insulin at $35 a month for seniors on Medicare.

But there are millions of other Americans who are not on Medicare, including 200,000 young people with Type I diabetes who need insulin to save their lives.

Let's finish the job this time.

Let's cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month for every American who needs it.

This law also caps out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors on Medicare at a maximum $2,000 per year when there are in fact many drugs, like expensive cancer drugs, that can cost up to $10,000, $12,000, and $14,000 a year.

If drug prices rise faster than inflation, drug companies will have to pay Medicare back the difference.

And we're finally giving Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices. Bringing down prescription drug costs doesn't just save seniors money.

It will cut the federal deficit, saving tax payers hundreds of billions of dollars on the prescription drugs the government buys for Medicare.

Why wouldn't we want to do that?

Now, some members here are threatening to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act.

Make no mistake, if you try to do anything to raise the cost of prescription drugs, I will veto it.

I'm pleased to say that more Americans have health insurance now than ever in history.

A record 16 million people are enrolled under the Affordable Care Act.

Thanks to the law I signed last year, millions are saving $800 a year on their premiums.

But the way that law was written, that benefit expires after 2025.

Let's finish the job, make those savings permanent, and expand coverage to those left off Medicaid.

Look, the Inflation Reduction Act is also the most significant investment ever to tackle the climate crisis.

Lowering utility bills, creating American jobs, and leading the world to a clean energy future.

I've visited the devastating aftermaths of record floods and droughts, storms and wildfires.

In addition to emergency recovery from Puerto Rico to Florida to Idaho, we are rebuilding for the long term.

New electric grids able to weather the next major storm.

Roads and water systems to withstand the next big flood.

Clean energy to cut pollution and create jobs in communities too often left behind.

We're building 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations installed across the country by tens of thousands of IBEW workers.

And helping families save more than $1,000 a year with tax credits for the purchase of electric vehicles and energy-efficient appliances.

Historic conservation efforts to be responsible stewards of our lands.

Let's face reality.

The climate crisis doesn't care if your state is red or blue. It is an existential threat.

We have an obligation to our children and grandchildren to confront it. I'm proud of how America is at last stepping up to the challenge.

But there's so much more to do.

We will finish the job.

And we pay for these investments in our future by finally making the wealthiest and the biggest corporations begin to pay their fair share.

I'm a capitalist. But just pay your fair share.

And I think a lot of you at home agree with me that our present tax system is simply unfair.

The idea that in 2020, 55 of the biggest companies in America made $40 billion in profits and paid zero in federal income taxes?

That's simply not fair.

But now, because of the law I signed, billion-dollar companies have to pay a minimum of 15%.

Just 15%.

That's less than a nurse pays. Let me be clear.

Under my plan, nobody earning less than $400,000 a year will pay an additional penny in taxes.

Nobody. Not one penny.

But there's more to do.

Let's finish the job. Reward work, not just wealth. Pass my proposal for a billionaire minimum tax.

Because no billionaire should pay a lower tax rate than a school teacher or a firefighter.

You may have noticed that Big Oil just reported record profits.

Last year, they made $200 billion in the midst of a global energy crisis.

It's outrageous.

They invested too little of that profit to increase domestic production and keep gas prices down.

Instead, they used those record profits to buy back their own stock, rewarding their CEOs and shareholders.

Corporations ought to do the right thing.

That's why I propose that we quadruple the tax on corporate stock buybacks to encourage long term investments instead.

They will still make a considerable profit.

Let's finish the job and close the loopholes that allow the very wealthy to avoid paying their taxes.

Instead of cutting the number of audits of wealthy tax payers, I signed a law that will reduce the deficit by $114 billion by cracking down on wealthy tax cheats.

That's being fiscally responsible.

In the last two years, my administration cut the deficit by more than $1.7 trillion - the largest deficit reduction in American history.

Under the previous administration, America's deficit went up four years in a row.

Because of those record deficits, no president added more to the national debt in any four years than my predecessor.

Nearly 25% of the entire national debt, a debt that took 200 years to accumulate, was added by that administration alone.

How did Congress respond to all that debt?

They lifted the debt ceiling three times without preconditions or crisis.

They paid America's bills to prevent economic disaster for our country.

Tonight, I'm asking this Congress to follow suit.

Let us commit here tonight that the full faith and credit of the United States of America will never, ever be questioned.

Some of my Republican friends want to take the economy hostage unless I agree to their economic plans. All of you at home should know what their plans are.

Instead of making the wealthy pay their fair share, some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security to sunset every five years.

That means if Congress doesn't vote to keep them, those programs will go away.

Other Republicans say if we don't cut Social Security and Medicare, they'll let America default on its debt for the first time in our history.

I won't let that happen.

Social Security and Medicare are a lifeline for millions of seniors.

Americans have been paying into them with every single paycheck since they started working.

So tonight, let's all agree to stand up for seniors. Stand up and show them we will not cut Social Security. We will not cut Medicare.

Those benefits belong to the American people. They earned them.

If anyone tries to cut Social Security, I will stop them. And if anyone tries to cut Medicare, I will stop them.

I will not allow them to be taken away.

Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever.

Next month when I offer my fiscal plan, I ask my Republican friends to offer their plan.

We can sit down together and discuss both plans together.

My plan will lower the deficit by $2 trillion.

I won't cut a single Social Security or Medicare benefit.

In fact, I will extend the Medicare Trust Fund by at least two decades.

I will not raise taxes on anyone making under $400,000 a year. And I will pay for the ideas I've talked about tonight by making the wealthy and big corporations begin to pay their fair share.

Look, here's the deal. Big corporations aren't just taking advantage of the tax code. They're taking advantage of you, the American consumer.

Here's my message to all of you out there: I have your back. We're already preventing insurance companies from sending surprise medical bills, stopping 1 million surprise bills a month.

We're protecting seniors' lives and life savings by cracking down on nursing homes that commit fraud, endanger patient safety, or prescribe drugs they don't need.

Millions of Americans can now save thousands of dollars because they can finally get hearing aids over-the-counter without a prescription.

Capitalism without competition is not capitalism. It is exploitation.

Last year I cracked down on foreign shipping companies that were making you pay higher prices for everyday goods coming into our country.

I signed a bipartisan bill that cut shipping costs by 90%, helping American farmers, businesses, and consumers.

Let's finish the job.

Pass bipartisan legislation to strengthen antitrust enforcement and prevent big online platforms from giving their own products an unfair advantage.

My administration is also taking on "junk" fees, those hidden surcharges too many businesses use to make you pay more.

For example, we're making airlines show you the full ticket price upfront and refund your money if your flight is cancelled or delayed.

We've reduced exorbitant bank overdraft fees, saving consumers more than $1 billion a year.

We're cutting credit card late fees by 75%, from $30 to $8.

Junk fees may not matter to the very wealthy, but they matter to most folks in homes like the one I grew up in. They add up to hundreds of dollars a month.

They make it harder for you to pay the bills or afford that family trip.

I know how unfair it feels when a company overcharges you and gets away with it.

Not anymore.

We've written a bill to stop all that. It's called the Junk Fee Prevention Act.

We'll ban surprise "resort fees" that hotels tack on to your bill. These fees can cost you up to $90 a night at hotels that aren't even resorts.

We'll make cable internet and cellphone companies stop charging you up to $200 or more when you decide to switch to another provider.

We'll cap service fees on tickets to concerts and sporting events and make companies disclose all fees upfront.

And we'll prohibit airlines from charging up to $50 roundtrip for families just to sit together.

Baggage fees are bad enough - they can't just treat your child like a piece of luggage.

Americans are tired of being played for suckers.

Pass the Junk Fee Prevention Act so companies stop ripping us off.

For too long, workers have been getting stiffed.

Not anymore.

We're beginning to restore the dignity of work.

For example, 30 million workers had to sign non-compete agreements when they took a job. So a cashier at a burger place can't cross the street to take the same job at another burger place to make a couple bucks more.

Not anymore.

We're banning those agreements so companies have to compete for workers and pay them what they're worth.

I'm so sick and tired of companies breaking the law by preventing workers from organizing.

Pass the PRO Act because workers have a right to form a union. And let's guarantee all workers a living wage.

Let's also make sure working parents can afford to raise a family with sick days, paid family and medical leave, and affordable child care that will enable millions more people to go to work.

Let's also restore the full Child Tax Credit, which gave tens of millions of parents some breathing room and cut child poverty in half, to the lowest level in history.

And by the way, when we do all of these things, we increase productivity. We increase economic growth.

Let's also finish the job and get more families access to affordable and quality housing.

Let's get seniors who want to stay in their homes the care they need to do so. And give a little more breathing room to millions of family caregivers looking after their loved ones.

Pass my plan so we get seniors and people with disabilities the home care services they need and support the workers who are doing God's work.

These plans are fully paid for and we can afford to do them.

Restoring the dignity of work also means making education an affordable ticket to the middle class.

When we made 12 years of public education universal in the last century, it made us the best-educated, best-prepared nation in the world.

But the world has caught up.

Jill, who teaches full-time, has an expression: "Any nation that out-educates us will out-compete us."

Folks, you all know 12 years is not enough to win the economic competition for the 21st Century.

If you want America to have the best-educated workforce, let's finish the job by providing access to pre-school for 3- and 4-year-olds.

Studies show that children who go to pre-school are nearly 50% more likely to finish high school and go on to earn a 2- or 4-year degree, no matter their background.

Let's give public school teachers a raise.

And we're making progress by reducing student debt and increasing Pell Grants for working- and middle-class families.

Let's finish the job, connect students to career opportunities starting in high school and provide two years of community college, some of the best career training in America, in addition to being a pathway to a four-year degree.

Let's offer every American the path to a good career whether they go to college or not.

And folks, in the midst of the COVID crisis when schools were closed, let's also recognize how far we've come in the fight against the pandemic itself.

While the virus is not gone, thanks to the resilience of the American people, we have broken COVID's grip on us.

COVID deaths are down nearly 90%.

We've saved millions of lives and opened our country back up.

And soon we'll end the public health emergency.

But we will remember the toll and pain that will never go away for so many. More than 1 million Americans have lost their lives to COVID.

Families grieving. Children orphaned. Empty chairs at the dining room table.

We remember them, and we remain vigilant.

We still need to monitor dozens of variants and support new vaccines and treatments.

So Congress needs to fund these efforts and keep America safe.

And as we emerge from this crisis stronger, I'm also doubling down on prosecuting criminals who stole relief money meant to keep workers and small businesses afloat during the pandemic.

Before I came to office many inspector generals who protect taxpayer dollars were sidelined. Fraud was rampant.

Last year, I told you the watchdogs are back. Since then, we've recovered billions of taxpayer dollars.

Now, let's triple our anti-fraud strike forces going after these criminals, double the statute of limitations on these crimes, and crack down on identity fraud by criminal syndicates stealing billions of dollars from the American people.

For every dollar we put into fighting fraud, taxpayers get back at least ten times as much.

COVID left other scars, like the spike in violent crime in 2020, the first year of the pandemic.

We have an obligation to make sure all our people are safe.

Public safety depends on public trust. But too often that trust is violated.

Joining us tonight are the parents of Tyre Nichols, who had to bury him just last week. There are no words to describe the heartbreak and grief of losing a child.

But imagine what it's like to lose a child at the hands of the law.

Imagine having to worry whether your son or daughter will come home from walking down the street or playing in the park or just driving their car.

I've never had to have the talk with my children - Beau, Hunter, and Ashley - that so many Black and Brown families have had with their children.

If a police officer pulls you over, turn on your interior lights. Don't reach for your license. Keep your hands on the steering wheel.

Imagine having to worry like that every day in America.

Here's what Tyre's mom shared with me when I asked her how she finds the courage to carry on and speak out.

With faith in God, she said her son "was a beautiful soul and something good will come from this."

Imagine how much courage and character that takes.

It's up to us. It's up to all of us.

We all want the same thing.

Neighborhoods free of violence.

Law enforcement who earn the community's trust.

Our children to come home safely.

Equal protection under the law; that's the covenant we have with each other in America.

And we know police officers put their lives on the line every day, and we ask them to do too much.

To be counselors, social workers, psychologists; responding to drug overdoses, mental health crises, and more.

We ask too much of them.

I know most cops are good. decent people. They risk their lives every time they put on that shield.

But what happened to Tyre in Memphis happens too often.

We have to do better.

Give law enforcement the training they need, hold them to higher standards, and help them succeed in keeping everyone safe.

We also need more first responders and other professionals to address growing mental health and substance abuse challenges.

More resources to reduce violent crime and gun crime; more community intervention programs; more investments in housing, education, and job training.

All this can help prevent violence in the first place.

And when police officers or departments violate the public's trust, we must hold them accountable.

With the support of families of victims, civil rights groups, and law enforcement, I signed an executive order for all federal officers banning chokeholds, restricting no-knock warrants, and other key elements of the George Floyd Act.

Let's commit ourselves to make the words of Tyre's mother come true, something good must come from this.

All of us in this chamber, we need to rise to this moment.

We can't turn away.

Let's do what we know in our hearts we need to do.

Let's come together and finish the job on police reform.

Do something.

That was the same plea of parents who lost their children in Uvalde: Do something on gun violence.

Thank God we did, passing the most sweeping gun safety law in three decades.

That includes things that the majority of responsible gun owners support, like enhanced background checks for 18 to 21-year-olds and red flag laws keeping guns out of the hands of people who are a danger to themselves and others.

But we know our work is not done.

Joining us tonight is Brandon Tsay, a 26-year-old hero.

Brandon put off his college dreams to stay by his mom's side as she was dying from cancer. He now works at a dance studio started by his grandparents.

Two weeks ago, during Lunar New Year celebrations, he heard the studio's front door close and saw a man pointing a gun at him.

He thought he was going to die, but then he thought about the people inside.

In that instant, he found the courage to act and wrestled the semi-automatic pistol away from a gunman who had already killed 11 people at another dance studio.

He saved lives. It's time we do the same as well.

Ban assault weapons once and for all.

We did it before. I led the fight to ban them in 1994.

In the 10 years the ban was law, mass shootings went down. After Republicans let it expire, mass shootings tripled.

Let's finish the job and ban assault weapons again.

And let's also come together on immigration and make it a bipartisan issue like it was before.

We now have a record number of personnel working to secure the border, arresting 8,000 human smugglers and seizing over 23,000 pounds of fentanyl in just the last several months.

Since we launched our new border plan last month, unlawful migration from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela has come down 97%.

But America's border problems won't be fixed until Congress acts.

If you won't pass my comprehensive immigration reform, at least pass my plan to provide the equipment and officers to secure the border. And a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, those on temporary status, farm workers, and essential workers.

Here in the people's House, it's our duty to protect all the people's rights and freedoms.

Congress must restore the right the Supreme Court took away last year and codify Roe v. Wade to protect every woman's constitutional right to choose.

The Vice President and I are doing everything we can to protect access to reproductive health care and safeguard patient privacy. But already, more than a dozen states are enforcing extreme abortion bans.

Make no mistake; if Congress passes a national abortion ban, I will veto it.

Let's also pass the bipartisan Equality Act to ensure LGBTQ Americans, especially transgender young people, can live with safety and dignity.

Our strength is not just the example of our power, but the power of our example. Let's remember the world is watching.

I spoke from this chamber one year ago, just days after Vladimir Putin unleashed his brutal war against Ukraine.

A murderous assault, evoking images of the death and destruction Europe suffered in World War II.

Putin's invasion has been a test for the ages. A test for America. A test for the world.

Would we stand for the most basic of principles?

Would we stand for sovereignty?

Would we stand for the right of people to live free from tyranny?

Would we stand for the defense of democracy?

For such a defense matters to us because it keeps the peace and prevents open season for would-be aggressors to threaten our security and prosperity. One year later, we know the answer.

Yes, we would.

And yes, we did.

Together, we did what America always does at our best.

We led.

We united NATO and built a global coalition.

We stood against Putin's aggression.

We stood with the Ukrainian people.

Tonight, we are once again joined by Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States. She represents not just her nation, but the courage of her people.

Ambassador, America is united in our support for your country. We will stand with you as long as it takes.

Our nation is working for more freedom, more dignity, and more peace,
not just in Europe, but everywhere.

Before I came to office, the story was about how the People's Republic of China was increasing its power and America was falling in the world.

Not anymore.

I've made clear with President Xi that we seek competition, not conflict.

I will make no apologies that we are investing to make America strong. Investing in American innovation, in industries that will define the future, and that China's government is intent on dominating.

Investing in our alliances and working with our allies to protect our advanced technologies so they're not used against us.

Modernizing our military to safeguard stability and deter aggression.

Today, we're in the strongest position in decades to compete with China or anyone else in the world.

I am committed to work with China where it can advance American interests and benefit the world.

But make no mistake: as we made clear last week, if China's threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country. And we did.

And let's be clear: winning the competition with China should unite all of us. We face serious challenges across the world.

But in the past two years, democracies have become stronger, not weaker.

Autocracies have grown weaker, not stronger.

America is rallying the world again to meet those challenges, from climate and global health, to food insecurity, to terrorism and territorial aggression.

Allies are stepping up, spending more and doing more.

And bridges are forming between partners in the Pacific and those in the Atlantic. And those who bet against America are learning just how wrong they are.

It's never a good bet to bet against America.

When I came to office, most everyone assumed bipartisanship was impossible. But I never believed it.

That's why a year ago, I offered a Unity Agenda for the nation.

We've made real progress.

Together, we passed a law making it easier for doctors to prescribe effective treatments for opioid addiction.

Passed a gun safety law making historic investments in mental health.

Launched ARPA-H to drive breakthroughs in the fight against cancer,
Alzheimer's, diabetes, and so much more.

We passed the Heath Robinson PACT Act, named for the late Iraq war veteran whose story about exposure to toxic burn pits I shared here last year.

But there is so much more to do. And we can do it together.

Joining us tonight is a father named Doug from Newton, New Hampshire.

He wrote Jill and me a letter about his daughter Courtney. Contagious laugh. Her sister's best friend.

He shared a story all too familiar to millions of Americans.

Courtney discovered pills in high school. It spiraled into addiction and eventually her death from a fentanyl overdose.

She was 20 years old.

Describing the last eight years without her, Doug said, "There is no worse pain."

Yet their family has turned pain into purpose, working to end stigma and change laws.

He told us he wants to "start the journey towards America's recovery."

Doug, we're with you.

Fentanyl is killing more than 70,000 Americans a year.

Let's launch a major surge to stop fentanyl production, sale, and trafficking, with more drug detection machines to inspect cargo and stop pills and powder at the border.

Working with couriers like Fed Ex to inspect more packages for drugs. Strong penalties to crack down on fentanyl trafficking.

Second, let's do more on mental health, especially for our children. When millions of young people are struggling with bullying, violence, trauma, we owe them greater access to mental health care at school.

We must finally hold social media companies accountable for the experiment they are running on our children for profit.

And it's time to pass bipartisan legislation to stop Big Tech from collecting personal data on kids and teenagers online, ban targeted advertising to children, and impose stricter limits on the personal data these companies collect on all of us.

Third, let's do more to keep our nation's one truly sacred obligation: to equip those we send into harm's way and care for them and their families when they come home.

Job training and job placement for veterans and their spouses as they return to civilian life.

Helping veterans afford their rent because no one should be homeless in this country, especially not those who served it.

And we cannot go on losing 17 veterans a day to the silent scourge of suicide.

The VA is doing everything it can, including expanding mental health screenings and a proven program that recruits veterans to help other veterans understand what they're going through and get the help they need.

And fourth, last year Jill and I re-ignited the Cancer Moonshot that President Obama asked me to lead in our Administration.

Our goal is to cut the cancer death rate by at least 50% over the next 25 years. Turn more cancers from death sentences into treatable diseases. And provide more support for patients and families.

It's personal for so many of us.

Joining us are Maurice and Kandice, an Irishman and a daughter of immigrants from Panama.

They met and fell in love in New York City and got married in the same chapel as Jill and I did.

Kindred spirits.

He wrote us a letter about their little daughter Ava.

She was just a year old when she was diagnosed with a rare kidney cancer.

26 blood transfusions. 11 rounds of radiation. 8 rounds of chemo. 1 kidney removed.

A 5% survival rate.

He wrote how in the darkest moments he thought, "if she goes, I can't stay."

Jill and I understand, like so many of you.

They read how Jill described our family's cancer journey and how we tried to steal moments of joy where you can.

For them, that glimmer of joy was a half-smile from their baby girl. It meant everything.

They never gave up hope.

Ava never gave up hope. She turns four next month.

They just found out that Ava beat the odds and is on her way to being cancer free, and she's watching from the White House tonight.

For the lives we can save and for the lives we have lost, let this be a truly American moment that rallies the country and the world together and proves that we can do big things.

Twenty years ago, under the leadership of President Bush and countless advocates and champions, we undertook a bipartisan effort through PEPFAR to transform the global fight against HIV/AIDS. It's been a huge success.

I believe we can do the same with cancer.

Let's end cancer as we know it and cure some cancers once and for all.

There's one reason why we're able to do all of these things: our democracy itself.

It's the most fundamental thing of all.

With democracy, everything is possible. Without it, nothing is.

For the last few years our democracy has been threatened, attacked, and put at risk.

Put to the test here, in this very room, on January 6th.

And then, just a few months ago, unhinged by the Big Lie, an assailant unleashed political violence in the home of the then-Speaker of this House of Representatives. Using the very same language that insurrectionists who stalked these halls chanted on January 6th.

Here tonight in this chamber is the man who bears the scars of that brutal attack, but is as tough and strong and as resilient as they get.

My friend, Paul Pelosi.

But such a heinous act never should have happened.

We must all speak out. There is no place for political violence in America. In America, we must protect the right to vote, not suppress that fundamental right. We honor the results of our elections, not subvert the will of the people. We must uphold the rule of the law and restore trust in our institutions of democracy.

And we must give hate and extremism in any form no safe harbor.

Democracy must not be a partisan issue. It must be an American issue.

Every generation of Americans has faced a moment where they have been called on to protect our democracy, to defend it, to stand up for it.

And this is our moment.

My fellow Americans, we meet tonight at an inflection point. One of those moments that only a few generations ever face, where the decisions we make now will decide the course of this nation and of the world for decades to come.

We are not bystanders to history. We are not powerless before the forces that confront us. It is within our power, of We the People. We are facing the test of our time and the time for choosing is at hand.

We must be the nation we have always been at our best. Optimistic. Hopeful. Forward-looking.

A nation that embraces, light over darkness, hope over fear, unity over division. Stability over chaos.

We must see each other not as enemies, but as fellow Americans. We are a good people, the only nation in the world built on an idea.

That all of us, every one of us, is created equal in the image of God. A nation that stands as a beacon to the world. A nation in a new age of possibilities.

So I have come here to fulfil my constitutional duty to report on the state of the union. And here is my report.

Because the soul of this nation is strong, because the backbone of this nation is strong, because the people of this nation are strong, the State of the Union is strong.

As I stand here tonight, I have never been more optimistic about the future of America. We just have to remember who we are.

We are the United States of America and there is nothing, nothing
beyond our capacity if we do it together.

May God bless you all. May God protect our troops.

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Remarks of President Joe Biden - State of the Union Address as Prepared for Delivery | The White House

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The United States Capitol Mr. Speaker. Madam Vice President. Our First Lady and Second Gentleman. Members of Congress and the Cabinet. Leaders of our military. Mr. Chief Justice, Associate Justices, and retired Justices of the Supreme Court. And you, my fellow Americans.

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the president as chief legislator used his power to veto or decline bills that passed through congress sending them back to congress where as if 2/3 of both house agree they can overturn the veto

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116th Congress, 2nd Session (2020)

Bill No.

Subject

Veto Date

Presidential Message

Status

S.906
Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act

Jan 1, 2021

S.Doc. 116-29

116th Congress, 1st Session (2019)

Bill No.

Subject

Veto Date

Presidential Message

Status

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the president used his judicial power in order to appoint many judges however unless 2/3 of the senate approves of these appointments then they will not be appointed

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Nearly two-thirds of the federal judges President Joe Biden has appointed so far are women, and the same share are members of racial or ethnic minority groups, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of statistics from the Federal Judicial Center.

This Pew Research Center analysis examines how U.S. President Joe Biden compares with other recent presidents in the number and characteristics of the federal judges he has appointed to date. It is based on data published by the Federal Judicial Center, the research and education arm of the federal judicial branch.

The analysis focuses on judges appointed to the 91 district courts and 13 appeals courts that are governed by Article III of the U.S. Constitution, as well as those appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. It excludes judges appointed to certain specialized courts, such as the U.S. Court of International Trade, as well as appointees to non-Article III territorial courts in Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands.

To allow for an apples-to-apples comparison, the analysis looks at all judges confirmed by the U.S. Senate through the first 1,019 days of each president's administration. For most presidents in this analysis, that translates to Nov. 5 of their third year in office. The exceptions are former Presidents Gerald Ford and Lyndon B. Johnson, both of whom were inaugurated for the first time on a date other than Jan. 20 and therefore reached the 1,019-day mark on a date other than Nov. 5 of their third year. This analysis begins with Dwight D. Eisenhower because he was the first president to be sworn in to a first term on the modern inauguration date of Jan. 20.

White judges in this analysis include only those who identify as single-race non-Hispanic, as reported by the Federal Judicial Center. Non-White judges include those who identify as Black, Hispanic, Asian, American Indian, Chaldean, Pakistani or Portuguese, as well as those who identify as multiracial or multiethnic.

Biden still has more than a year left in his term, so these patterns could change. But no president has ever appointed a slate of judges consisting mostly of women or racial and ethnic minorities.

To put Biden's judicial appointments into historical context, we examined how his appointed judges to date compare with those of other presidents at the same point in their tenures, going back to Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 1950s. This analysis begins with Eisenhower because he was the first president to be sworn in to a first term on the modern inauguration date of Jan. 20.

As of Nov. 5 - exactly a year before the 2024 presidential election - Biden had appointed 145 judges to the three main tiers of the federal judicial system: the district courts, the appeals courts and the U.S. Supreme Court. Women accounted for just over 66% of those judges (95 of 145).

The 95 women judges Biden had appointed as of Nov. 5 far exceed both the number and share any other president had appointed at the same point in their term. For example, then-President Donald Trump had appointed 36 women judges by the same point four years ago (24% of his total at the time), while then-President Barack Obama had appointed 54 women judges (47% of his total at the time).

The pattern is similar when it comes to judges who are racial or ethnic minorities. Nearly two-thirds of the judges Biden had appointed as of Nov. 5 (96 of 145, or just over 66%) are Black, Hispanic, Asian American or members of another racial or ethnic minority group. That is far more than any other president had appointed at the same point in their tenure. Trump, for instance, had appointed 22 minority judges by the same stage (14% of his total at the time), while Obama had appointed 42 (37% of his total at the time).

Combining gender with race and ethnicity, women who are Black, Hispanic, Asian or part of another racial or ethnic minority group account for 42% of the judges Biden had appointed as of Nov. 5 (61 of 145). They include Biden's sole appointee to the U.S. Supreme Court, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the nation's highest court.

How does Biden compare with other presidents in total judges appointed?

Biden does not especially stand out in terms of the overall number of federal judges he has appointed so far. He appointed 145 judges through Nov. 5 - fewer than Trump had appointed at the same point in his presidency (153), but more than Obama had (115).

Overall, Biden's appointed judges include one Supreme Court justice (Jackson), 36 appeals court judges and 111 district court judges. Trump, by comparison, had appointed two Supreme Court justices by the same point in his tenure (Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh), in addition to 43 appellate judges and 110 district judges.

Both Biden and Trump appointed some people to multiple judgeships. Biden, for example, appointed Jackson to an appeals court position before elevating her to the Supreme Court. In this analysis, these judges are counted separately for each position, but only once in each president's total.

How many active federal judges were appointed by Biden?

Another way of looking at the effect that each president has had on the federal judiciary is to evaluate the share of currently active judges who were appointed by that chief executive.

As of Nov. 5, there were 798 active federal judges serving in the 91 district courts and 13 appeals courts governed by Article III of the U.S. Constitution, as well as on the Supreme Court. Biden had appointed 18% of those judges.

Of the federal judges who were active as of Nov. 5, larger shares were appointed by other recent presidents. Trump appointed 28% of active judges, while Obama appointed 31% and George W. Bush appointed 16%. Not surprisingly, relatively few judges who are still active today were appointed by presidents who served more than two decades ago - including Bill Clinton (4%), George H.W. Bush (1%) and Ronald Reagan (1%).

How many active federal judges were appointed by Democratic versus Republican presidents?

The current federal judiciary is closely divided between appointees of Democratic presidents, who comprise 54% of all active judges, and those chosen by Republican presidents, who account for 46%.

However, the breakdown varies by type of court. More than half of active judges in district courts were appointed by Democratic presidents (56%), while a smaller share (44%) were appointed by GOP presidents. The reverse is true in the appeals courts, where 53% of active judges were appointed by Republican presidents and 47% were appointed by Democrats. The Supreme Court consists of six justices appointed by Republican presidents and three justices appointed by Democrats, a 67%-33% split.
CORRECTION (Dec. 4, 2023): An earlier version of the chart titled, "Biden's judge appointments to date: Fewer overall than Trump, but more than Obama" incorrectly identified former President George W. Bush as a Democrat.
Note: This is an update of a post originally published on Aug. 9, 2022.

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Most of Biden's appointed judges to date are women, racial or ethnic minorities - a first for any president

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Nearly two-thirds of the federal judges President Joe Biden has appointed so far are women, and the same share are members of racial or ethnic minority groups.

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as chief executive the president may require the advisory of certain members of the government over decision of their respective offices

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President Joe Biden (D) identified 23 nominees for his Cabinet, a group of senior federal officials who advise the president on the issues and activities of their respective agencies, prior to taking office on January 20, 2021.

As of March 3, 2021:

Thirteen Cabinet members have been confirmed.

Eight nominees have had confirmation hearings.

One nominee has not yet had a confirmation hearing.

One nominee was withdrawn from consideration.

This tradition is rooted in Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 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."

While not explicitly identified in the Constitution, the Cabinet secretaries are the 15 agency heads who are in the presidential line of succession. The vice president is also part of the Cabinet.

The following offices are also Cabinet-rank positions in the Biden administration:

White House chief of staff

Ambassador to the United Nations

Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency

Director of the Office of Management and Budget

U.S. trade representative

Director of National Intelligence

Administrator of the Small Business Administration

Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers

Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy

President Donald Trump (R) did not include the chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, ambassador to the United Nations, or director of Office of Science and Technology Policy in his final Cabinet. He did include the director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

President Barack Obama (D) established a similar Cabinet to Biden's but did not include the directors of National Intelligence or Office of Science and Technology Policy.

All but two of these Cabinet positions-vice president and White House chief of staff-require Senate confirmation.

This page includes the following information:

Recent hearings and news

March 4, 2021: The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources advanced the nomination of Debra Haaland for secretary of the interior by a vote of 11-9.

March 3, 2021:

The Senate Finance Committee split along party lines, 14-14, on whether to favorably report Xavier Becerra's nomination for secretary of health and human services. As a result, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) would need to move to discharge the nomination from the committee to get a vote on the Senate floor for Becerra.

The Senate Finance Committee advanced Katherine Tai's nomination for U.S. trade representative by voice vote.

March 2, 2021:

The Senate confirmed Gina Raimondo as secretary of commerce by a vote of 84-15.

The Senate confirmed Cecilia Rouse as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers by a vote of 95-4.

The White House announced that Neera Tanden requested to be withdrawn from consideration for director of the Office of Management Budget due to opposition to her nomination.

Cabinet and Cabinet-level appointees

The following individuals are members of Biden's Cabinet. They have either been confirmed by the U.S. Senate or hold a position that does not require Senate confirmation.

Nominees awaiting confirmation

See also: Confirmation process for Joe Biden's Cabinet nominees

The following Cabinet and Cabinet-rank nominees are proceeding through the appointment confirmation process. Click here for more information.

Confirmation process

See also: Confirmation process for Joe Biden's Cabinet nominees

The following table provides an overview of the status, confirmation hearings, and committee and Senate votes for each of Biden's Cabinet and Cabinet-rank nominees.

Overview of confirmation process for Joe Biden's Cabinet nominees

Nominee

Position

Announced

Senate committee

Confirmation hearing

Committee vote

Senate vote

Status

Xavier Becerra

Secretary of Health and Human Services

December 7, 2020

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
/ Finance

February 23, 2021 / February 24, 2021

No recommendation (14-14)

Pending

Awaiting confirmation vote

Neera Tanden

Director of the Office of Management and Budget

November 30, 2020

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs / Budget

February 9, 2021 / February 10, 2021

N/A

N/A

Withdrawn on March 2, 2021

Eric Lander

Presidential Science Advisor and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy

January 16, 2021

Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Pending

Pending

Pending

No confirmation hearing scheduled yet

Historical comparison of Cabinet confirmations

Comparison to Trump administration

The following chart compares how many days it took after the inaugurations in 2017 and 2021 for the Cabinet secretaries of Presidents Donald Trump (R) and Joe Biden (D), respectively, to be confirmed. This chart includes the main 15 Cabinet positions.

Comparison to Obama administration

The following chart compares how many days it took after the inaugurations in 2009 and 2021 for the Cabinet secretaries of Presidents Barack Obama (D) and Joe Biden (D), respectively, to be confirmed. This chart includes the main 15 Cabinet positions.

Historical comparison of Cabinet announcements

The following chart shows how long it took the projected winner of three recent presidential elections- Barack Obama (D) in 2008, Donald Trump (R) in 2016, and Joe Biden (D) in 2020-to begin to announce their nominees for Cabinet and Cabinet-rank positions.

White House chief of staff was the first position to be announced by all three with Obama taking the shortest time (2 days after the election) and Biden the longest (8 days after the election).

With the exception of the chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, which was not Cabinet-rank in Trump's administration, Trump had named all of his nominees 72 days out.

Obama took 45 days to do the same. (The director of national intelligence was not a Cabinet-rank position in his administration.)

Confirmation hearing process for Cabinet nominees

After the president submits a written nomination to the U.S. Senate, the nomination is passed to the Senate committee with jurisdiction over the appointed position. Some positions require a joint hearing of two or more committees. Committee hearings allow a close examination of the nominee, looking for partisanship and views on public policy. They can also summon supporters and opponents to testify. Committees are permitted to conduct their own investigations into the nominees.

The following table outlines the jurisdiction of the Senate committees in terms of the presidential appointment confirmation process. The left column indicates the Senate committee, and the right indicates the federal departments and administrations over which the committee has jurisdiction.

Click here to learn more about the appointment confirmation process.

Jurisdiction of Senate committees in presidential appointment confirmation process

Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

All issues concerning the Budget (e.g., tax revenues, government expenditures)

Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Energy and Natural Resources

Environment and Public Works

Oversight in any issue concerning the environment, public works, or federal buildings

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

U.S. General Services Administration

National Archives and Records Administration

Circuit and Appeals Courts of District of Columbia

United States Postal Service

Inspectors General of all departments

Rules and Administration

Rules of the Senate

General administration of congressional buildings

Smithsonian Institution

Botanic Gardens

Small Business and Entrepreneurship

Small Business Administration

Intelligence (Select)

Central Intelligence Agency

U.S. Department of Treasury's Assistant Secretary for Intelligence Analysis

U.S. Department of Justice's Attorney General for National Security

Director of National Intelligence

Potential Cabinet and Cabinet-level appointees

The following table shows potential appointees to Cabinet and Cabinet-level positions based on reports from several outlets, including Politico and The Washington Post. They are listed in alphabetical order by last name.

Photo

Potential appointees

Secretary of the Treasury

Raphael Bostic, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

Lael Brainard, Federal Reserve governor

Roger Ferguson, former Federal Reserve vice chairman and governor

Mellody Hobson, former chairwoman of DreamWorks Animation

Sarah Bloom Raskin, former deputy secretary of the Treasury

Elizabeth Warren, U.S. senator from Massachusetts

Janet Yellen, former chair of the Federal Reserve

Secretary of Defense

Secretary of Agriculture

Secretary of Commerce

Mellody Hobson, former chairwoman of DreamWorks Animation

Terry McAuliffe, former governor of Virginia

Meg Whitman (R), former CEO of eBay and Hewlett Packard

Secretary of Labor

Sharon Block, director of the Labor and Worklife Program at Harvard Law School

Seth Harris, former deputy labor secretary

Andy Levin, U.S. representative from Michigan

Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants

Tom Perez, chairman of the Democratic National Committee

Bernie Sanders, U.S. senator from Vermont

Bill Spriggs, chief economist at the AFL-CIO

Julie Su, secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency

Marty Walsh, mayor of Boston

Secretary of Health and Human Services

Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Secretary of Homeland Security

Director of the Office of Management & Budget

Brian Dees, former deputy director of the OMB

Ben Harris, former economic adviser to Biden

John Jones, former chief of staff to Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.)

Gene Sperling, former NEC director

U.S. Trade Representative

Nelson Cunningham, former White House special advisor on Western Hemisphere affairs

Jimmy Gomez, U.S. representative from California

U.S. Representative to the United Nations

Pete Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend

Wendy Sherman, former undersecretary of state

Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers

Heather Boushey, economist

Lisa Cook, economics professor at Michigan State

Administrator of the Small Business Administration

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President Joe Biden (D) identified 23 nominees for his Cabinet, a group of senior federal officials who advise the president on the issues and activities of their respective agencies, prior to taking office on January 20, 2021. As of March 3, 2021: Thirteen Cabinet members have been confirmed.