President of the United States Joe Biden has appointed Jeff Zients, a former COVID-19 US policy coordinator, as his new chief of staff to manage the administration of the White House as he enters the second half of his term.
Zients will take over for Ron Klain, who is stepping down from his position after two years, Biden revealed on Friday.
With Republicans controlling the House of Representatives and Democrats holding a majority in the Senate, the US president now faces a split Congress that will stymie his legislative agenda and probably force him to rely more on executive orders to advance his policy aims.
One of the most powerful members of the US executive branch has frequently been the chief of staff for the White House. They oversee the execution of policies, manage staff, monitor daily operations at the White House, and serve as the president’s office’s gatekeepers.
On Friday, Biden praised Klain and expressed confidence in Zients’s ability to fill the role.
I pledged to make the government work for the American people when I ran for office. Jeff works in this manner. Implementing the laws we’ve passed effectively and fairly is a significant challenge today, Biden said in a statement.
“As we continue to work diligently every day for the people we were brought here to serve, I’m confident that Jeff will carry on Ron’s example of thoughtful, steady leadership,” said Ron.
Biden has signed many laws into law over the last two years, securing trillions of dollars for the nation’s infrastructure, energy industry, and healthcare system. These money are currently being spent on a variety of initiatives and subsidies, with the White House serving as the ultimate arbiter.
It was “the right time for this team to have fresh leadership,” Klain stated in his letter of resignation.
Klain wrote to Biden, “I have given this position my all and have served longer than eight of the prior nine Chiefs of Staff; now it is time for someone else to take it on.”
Zients has a wealth of expertise in the business world. He previously held the positions of chairman and CEO of the education and healthcare consulting firm The Advisory Board. In addition, he served as managing partner of Portfolio Logic, an investment company. He served as Facebook’s board member and the chairman of the Children’s National Medical Center’s board of directors.
Additionally, he previously held important positions in the Barack Obama administration as well as served as co-chair for Joe Biden’s transition process.
Next week, the White House will conduct a formal transition event, Biden declared on Friday. The White House chief of staff, despite being a cabinet-level position, is not subject to Senate confirmation, meaning Zients may take over from Klain right away.
Biden’s support ratings have recovered in polls after falling last year, and the Democratic Party surpassed forecasts in the November midterm elections.
The US president, however, has recently been the subject of controversy following the discovery of secret government documents at his private residence in Delaware and old offices at a think tank in Washington, DC. A special counsel has been assigned by the Department of Justice to investigate into the situation.
Biden has stated that he plans to run for reelection in 2024, but he has not formally announced his candidacy.
I’ll do everything I can to support your campaign, just like I did for your 1988, 2008, and 2020 campaigns, if you decide to run in 2024. Klain stated in his resignation letter, “I will always be a Biden supporter and champion in whatever I do next.
