US President-elect Joe Biden has tapped veteran political operative Ron Klain as Chief of Staff, elevating his “invaluable” longtime aide to one of the most powerful positions in the White House.
The White House Chief of Staff manages the president’s daily schedule. He is often described as the president’s gatekeeper.
In addition to supporting the president-elect, Klain, 59, will work to build a diverse, experienced and talented team to help Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris meet the urgent challenges facing the country, the Biden transion office said in a media release on Wednesday.
“Ron has been invaluable to me over the many years that we have worked together, including as we rescued the American economy from one of the worst downturns in our history in 2009 and later overcame a daunting public health emergency in 2014,” said Biden.
“His deep, varied experience and capacity to work with people all across the political spectrum is precisely what I need in a White House chief of staff as we confront this moment of crisis and bring our country together again,” Biden said.