WILMINGTON, Del. (KYW Newsradio) — President-elect Joe Biden declared “America is back” as he introduced his national security and foreign policy cabinet nominees in Wilmington Tuesday.
Biden said the team he’s assembled has unmatched experience and reflects fresh thinking and shows the world the U.S. is reasserting its historic role as a global leader.
“Ready to lead the world, not retreat from it. Ready to confront our adversaries, not reject our allies. And ready to stand up for our values,” Biden said.
Each nominee spoke about experiences that had shaped them as well as what they hoped to accomplish. Secretary of State nominee Tony Blinken shared the story of his stepfather, who survived the holocaust by running from a death march and hailing an American tank.
“He ran to the tank, the hatch opened, an African-American GI looked down at him. He got down on his knees and said the only three words that he knew in English, that his mother had taught him before the war, ‘God Bless America.’ That’s who we are. That’s what America represents to the world, however imperfectly,” Blinken said.
Biden also noted that his homeland security secretary choice, Alejandro Mayorkas, will be the first Latino immigrant to lead the department.
“After years of chaos, dysfunction, and absolute cruelty at DHS, I am proud to nominate an experienced leader who has been hailed by both Democrats and Republicans,” Biden said.
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His nominee for director of national intelligence, Avril Haines, is the first woman nominated for the position. Haines pledged to speak truth — “even when what I have to say may be inconvenient or difficult,” she said.
And John Kerry, a former U.S. senator, secretary of state and presidential nominee, will have a newly created role to address climate change, an issue that has been ignored for four years.
“President Joe Biden will trust in God, and he will also trust in science to guide our work on earth to protect God’s creation,” Kerry said.
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris said the nominees live up to Biden’s pledge to have a cabinet that looks like America and believes in its ideals.
“An unshakeable commitment to democracy, human rights and rule of law,” Harris said.