Joe Biden and Kamala Harris Announce First All-Female White House Communications Team

As Joe Biden and Kamala Harris continue to roll out key members of their cabinet and administration, Biden confirmed on November 30 that he will be nominating Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen for Treasury Secretary. If confirmed, the economist would be the first woman to hold the position in 231 years. 

This announcement comes just one day after the Biden-Harris administration revealed all seven members of the White House senior communications team are women—another first for the United States.

On November 29, the Presidential Transition Team emphasized that this qualified group will communicate with the American people “directly” and “truthfully,” something that could arguably be seen as a major change from the Trump administration. “These diverse, experienced, and talented women demonstrate President-elect Biden’s continued commitment to building an administration that looks like America and is ready to deliver results for working families on day one,” the statement read. 

“Our country is facing unprecedented challenges–from the coronavirus pandemic to the economic crisis, to the climate crisis, and a long-overdue reckoning over racial injustice,” Vice President-elect Harris said in her own statement. “To overcome these challenges, we need to communicate clearly, honestly, and transparently with the American people, and this experienced, talented, and barrier-shattering team will help us do that. These communications professionals express our commitment to building a White House that reflects the very best of our nation.”

Kate Bedingfield, who will serve as the White House communications director, not only worked as the deputy campaign manager and communications director for the Biden-Harris Campaign but has served as communications director for Biden amongst other roles during the Obama-Biden administration. Meanwhile, Karin Jean-Pierre, who will serve as principal deputy press secretary, has worked as a senior advisor to Biden as well as chief of staff to Harris. Prior, she held a position in the Obama-Biden administration and served as a political analyst for NBC and MSNBC. 

Other members of the team include Elizabeth E. Alexander, Ashley Etienne, Jen Psaki, Symone Sanders, and Pili Tobar. You can read more about each woman here. 

According to Ronald Klain, President-elect Joe Biden’s pick for White House chief of staff, out of 24 senior White House staff members, 17 are women and 7 are men, while 12 out of the 24 members are people of color. 

“When Joe asked me to be his running mate, he told me about his commitment to making sure we selected a cabinet that looks like America—that reflects the very best of our nation,” Harris said in a speech on November 24, per The Guardian. “That is what we have done.”

Originally Appeared on Glamour