President-Elect Joe Biden is set to take office in less than one week—marking the beginning of his term and the commencement of his cabinet. The Cabinet serves as the President’s top advisors on topics ranging from housing to education. It is comprised of the Vice President, Chief of Staff and the heads of 15 executive departments — the Secretaries of Agriculture, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affair and the Attorney General. Aside from the Vice President and Chief of Staff, all Cabinet appointments will require Senate approval.
Although each executive department serves a unique role in maintaining the bureaucratic systems that govern the country, key issues for the housing industry are primarily affected by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Department of the Treasury actions. However, NMHC maintains a working relationship with nearly all departments to ensure the industry’s voice is heard on the numerous issues important to the industry.
NMHC is proud to have maintained a positive working relationship with heads of past Administration’s executive departments and looks forward to working with the Biden Administration Cabinet on key issues like COVID-19 relief, housing finance reform and housing affordability.
Use the drop-down feature below to learn more about President-elect Biden’s key Cabinet picks that have an impact on the multifamily industry.
Current California Senator Kamala Harris is set to be sworn in as Vice President. Harris is expected to play a pivotal role in the Administration and a continued large role in Congress as the deciding vote in an evenly split Senate, which gives the Democrats the majority and control over the chamber’s legislative agenda. Harris has a strong background on issues of importance to the multifamily industry and its residents. As Senator she has been a strong voice for measures to improve housing affordability and improve economic opportunity for all Americans. Of note, Harris introduced legislation to create a renter’s tax credit to help address housing affordability and also introduced the NMHC-supported Housing is Infrastructure Act, which aims to invest over $100 billion in our nation’s housing stock and looks to ease barriers to the development of multifamily rental housing. For a full biography click here.
Ron Klain, a longtime Biden aide will serve as White House Chief of Staff. The chief of staff is one of the most significant White House appointments. Klain had previously served in a variety of capacities in the Obama-Biden Administration including as Biden’s Chief of Staff when he was Vice President. Klain is well-versed in the machinations of Washington and notably helped oversee the implementation of the 2009 Recovery Act during the last economic recession and led the Obama Administration’s response to the Ebola epidemic. For a full biography click here.
Current Ohio Congresswoman Marcia Fudge has been nominated to serve as the Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department. HUD is a traditional key focus for the multifamily industry and its importance in the Biden Administration will be central to achieving much of what the President-elect has laid out throughout the campaign-notably, addressing housing affordability, infrastructure and racial equity challenges. NMHC issued the following statement when Rep. Fudge was nominated. For a full biography click here.
Janet Yellen, former Chair of the Federal Reserve, is the first woman to be nominated and likely to serve as the Secretary of the Department of Treasury. Yellen is widely respected across the political spectrum and known for her deep familiarity with monetary policy and ways both the Fed and Treasury can play in stimulating the economy, which is a clear priority of the Biden Administration. For a full biography click here.
Former South Bend, Indiana Mayor and Democratic Presidential Candidate Pete Buttigeg has been appointed to lead the Department of Transportation. The Department is likely to play a central role in Biden’s economic stimulus efforts as he plans to use infrastructure investments as a key driver for the nation’s recovery from the pandemic. As the Administration and Congress work to craft an infrastructure package, NMHC will continue to advocate for housing to be a key plank of any plan. In particular, NMHC believes an infrastructure package must include measures that support the interconnectivity of housing and infrastructure and promote housing development at all income levels. To do this, NMHC supports infrastructure policy that leverages federal funding to drive new investment in housing, promotes transit-oriented and high-density development and funds community-level infrastructure needs. For a full biography click here.
- Labor
Marty Walsh - Health and Human Services
Xavier Becerra - Commerce
Gina Raimondo - Energy
Jennifer Granholm - Homeland Security
Alejandro Mayorkas - Agriculture
Tom Vilsack - Interior
Deb Haaland - State
Antony Blinken - Defense
Lloyd J. Austin III - Education
Dr. Miguel Cardona - Veterans Affairs
Denis McDonough - Attorney General
Merrick Garland
