WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden on Friday picked his former Covid-19 policy coordinator, Jeff Zients, to be the next White House chief of staff, citing his expertise in healthcare and the economy.
Zients will replace Biden's current chief of staff Ron Klain, the statement said.
"I’ve seen Jeff Zients tackle some of the toughest issues in government," Biden said in a statement announcing the move.
Klain, a longtime aide and adviser to Democratic presidents and vice presidents, has been chief of staff to Biden since he took office in January 2021.
It is not unusual for presidents to replace chiefs of staff during their tenures, especially in their second term.
Zients worked on the American Recovery Act during the Obama administration, when Biden was vice president, and later was charged with fixing healthcare.gov after the Affordable Care Act was passed.
Under Biden, he led the Covid-19 response, a "massive logistical undertaking of historic proportions," Biden said.
Biden credited Klain, whom he described as tough, smart and persistent, with having assembled "the most diverse and the most talented White House team in history."
The departure of Klain, who has worked with Biden throughout his decades-long Washington career -- from senator to vice president, then victor over Donald Trump in 2020 -- will deprive the 80-year-old president of one of his closest, most trusted aides.
Chiefs of staff do everything from managing access to the president, setting his agenda, communicating with political power brokers and acting as a constant crisis manager and sounding board for ideas. - Reuters/AFP
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