Almost five years after his nomination to the Supreme Court was blocked by Senate Republicans in March 2016, Judge Merrick B. Garland has returned to the political stage as Mr. Biden’s pick to be the country’s chief law enforcement officer and oversee the Justice Department.
Several prominent Republicans including Senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky have expressed support for Judge Garland’s nomination, bolstering Mr. Biden’s hopes that his reputation and background leave him uniquely qualified to steer the department away from partisan politics.
Anna Moneymaker for The New York Times. In tapping Antony Blinken to serve as secretary of state, Mr. Biden appears determined to rebuild relationships with foreign leaders and international organizations that have atrophied under the isolationist policies that defined former President Trump’s “America First” agenda.
Anna Moneymaker for The New York Times. Avril Haines was the first member of Mr. Biden’s cabinet to win Senate confirmation and she is the first woman to serve in the top intelligence role. She has strong ties to the intelligence community after serving in both the Obama and George W. Bush administrations.