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See President Biden’s cabinet picks below and learn how they are likely to affect K-12 education.
Agriculture
Former Iowa Governor and former Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack speaks during an event on Nov. 23, 2019, in Des Moines, Iowa.Justin Hayworth/AP
Biden’s pick to lead the Agriculture Department, former Secretary Tom Vilsack, held the same role in the Obama administration.
In his previous tenure, Vilsack played a key role in implementing and defending heightened nutrition standards for school meals that were championed by former first lady Michelle Obama. Those rules, which have been rolled back under the Trump administration, called for less sodium and fat and more fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in school meals.
Four Star General Lloyd Austin Becomes First Black Pentagon Chief
Retired four-star General Lloyd Austin is the first Black Pentagon chief. (Image: Twitter/@flywithkamala)
The Senate has confirmed four star general Lloyd Austin on Jan. 22, making him the nation’s first Black defense secretary.
The Senate voted 93 to 2 to confirm Austin, who had to be granted a special waiver to be confirmed to the position. Under the National Security Act of 1947, Congress prohibits any individual from serving as defense secretary within seven years of active duty service. Since Austin retired in 2006, he needed both the House and Senate to grant him a waiver.
Shaheen pushes defense nominee for KC-46A tanker upgrades at Pease
Shaheen questioned Austin as he appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Jan. 19.
The new fleet, which cost billions of dollars, has been hampered since arriving at Pease in 2019. The aircraft need improvements to the Remote Vision Systems model, which are cameras and sensors used by the new tankers. The cost of the upgrades is expected to be more than $550 million for the entire fleet, including the 12 KC-46A tankers at Pease, where the final aircraft is expected next month.
Shaheen raised the “continuing issues” of getting the updated RVS model online and available for use, saying she hopes the incoming Department of Defense will continue to work on the upgrades.