For the first time in nearly a year, President Joe Biden convened his Cabinet on Friday. As his term draws to a close, Biden is urging his Cabinet to “speed up their efforts” to fulfill his administration’s agenda, according to Axios. Topics discussed included implementing environmental tax incentives, upgrading infrastructure, and appointing federal judges.
“He will direct his Cabinet to accomplish as much as possible—whether that’s distributing funds, launching new programs or policies, or delivering on existing initiatives,” a White House official stated. “He will emphasize the importance of showing the American people what the Biden-Harris administration has achieved. He will also ask his Cabinet to bring any challenges directly to him.”
First Lady Jill Biden is expected to provide an update on the White House’s “women’s health research initiative” during the meeting.
Despite administration officials telling CNN they don’t foresee a deal being reached before Biden leaves office, the administration remains engaged in efforts to mediate a cease-fire between Hamas and Israel.
“Regarding the peace process, we’re continuing our efforts to ensure that people in Northern Israel and Southern Lebanon can return to their homes safely. Our entire team, including the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, and the intelligence community, is working towards that goal. We’re not giving up until it’s achieved, but there’s still a long way to go,” Biden said.
When asked by a reporter if a ceasefire was realistic given the ongoing tensions, Biden responded, “If I ever said it’s not realistic, we might as well leave…”
White House aides requested that Cabinet members submit questions and topics of discussion prior to the meeting.
