Labor Secretary Walsh tapped to be Tuesday night’s designated survivor

Labor Secretary Marty Walsh was to serve as the Biden administration's designated survivor during the president’s State of the Union address Tuesday night, according to the White House.

The Cabinet-level official tapped to the designated survivor is assigned to stay in a secure, undisclosed location away from the speech — in the event some disaster wipes out the entire presidential line of succession, who are expected to be at the Capitol to watch the address.

Walsh plans to leave administration to head the NHL Players' Association, two people familiar with the matter confirmed to POLITICO on Tuesday. The former Boston mayor has roots in organized labor, having previously headed the Building and Construction Trades Council in Boston.

It wasn't immediately clear when Walsh would leave the administration. The news of his exit was first reported by the Daily Faceoff, a hockey publication.

There was no designated survivor for Biden's first joint address to Congress in 2021, as many Cabinet officials weren't in Washington due to the Covid-19 pandemic. For last year's State of the Union, it was Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.

The practice dates back to at least the Cold War. Since 2003, select members of each chamber in Congress have also sat out the speech.

In naming their pick, administrations weigh a range of factors, from foreign policy knowledge to the actual content of the president's speech, former designated survivors told POLITICO.

Walsh was also in the spotlight in September as he helmed a compromise between freight rail carriers and unions.

His departure would be part of an increased turnover in the administration, including a change in chief of staff from Ron Klain to Jeff Zients, as the White House prepares for a possible reelection bid.

According to Senate records, no one above attorney general in the line of succession has been a designated survivor since 1984, as far back as the records go. The attorney general is sixth on the list, behind Congressional leaders and top cabinet positions.

The first 10 people in the presidential line of succession are Vice President Kamala Harris, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Senate President Pro Tempore Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Attorney General Merrick Garland, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Raimondo, in that order.