President-elect Biden Chooses All-Female White House Press Team
2020-12-01
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1President-elect Joe Biden has named an all-female senior communications team for his upcoming administration.
2More than half of the seven positions will be filled by women of color.
3The choices are part of Biden's effort to create an administration that, in his words, "actually looks like America."
4Biden's campaign communications director, Kate Bedingfield, will serve as the White House communications director.
5She served in a similar position for Biden when he was vice president during the administration of President Barack Obama.
6Jen Psaki will serve as his press secretary.
7She held several positions in communications during Obama's administration, including as State Department spokesperson.
8Biden's communication team is expected to return to more traditional ways of talking and meeting with members of the press.
9President Donald Trump and his administration's communication team have had an unusual relationship with the press.
10His team has held comparatively few press briefings.
11Those that did happen were often hostile.
12Trump sometimes spoke directly to announcers of Fox News television programs instead of reporters for the White House.
13In a statement announcing the White House communications team,
14Biden said: "Communicating directly and truthfully to the American people is one of the most important duties of a President, and this team will be entrusted with the tremendous responsibility of connecting the American people to the White House."
15Biden has also nominated women to several high-level positions in his Cabinet.
16On Monday, the president-elect and his transition team announced Janet Yellen as nominee for US Treasury Secretary.
17If the Senate confirms her, Yellen will become the first woman ever to lead the Treasury Department.
18Last week, Biden named Linda Thomas-Greenfield as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
19Thomas-Greenfield, a Black woman, served as the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa from 2013 to 2017 under Obama.
20Biden has also nominated Avril Haines as Director of National Intelligence; Neera Tanden as Director of the Office of Management and Budget; and Cecelia Rouse as chair of Council of Economic Advisors.
21As a presidential candidate, Biden promised that people chosen for his administration would represent the diversity, or mix, of the American public.
22In an opinion article published last summer, as protests spread nationwide over the police killings of Black people,
23Biden wrote: "Across the board -- from our classrooms to our courtrooms to the president's Cabinet -- we have to make sure that our leadership and our institutions actually look like America."
24Biden also said over the summer that he would choose a woman to serve as his vice president.
25On August 11, he chose Senator Kamala Harris, a Black and Indian woman.
26Harris is now set to become the country's first female vice president.
27People of color make up almost half of Biden's transition team, Forbes magazine reported last month.
28Women make up a small majority of the team.
29I'm Ashley Thompson.
1President-elect Joe Biden has named an all-female senior communications team for his upcoming administration. More than half of the seven positions will be filled by women of color. 2The choices are part of Biden's effort to create an administration that, in his words, "actually looks like America." 3Biden's campaign communications director, Kate Bedingfield, will serve as the White House communications director. She served in a similar position for Biden when he was vice president during the administration of President Barack Obama. 4Jen Psaki will serve as his press secretary. She held several positions in communications during Obama's administration, including as State Department spokesperson. 5Biden's communication team is expected to return to more traditional ways of talking and meeting with members of the press. 6President Donald Trump and his administration's communication team have had an unusual relationship with the press. His team has held comparatively few press briefings. Those that did happen were often hostile. Trump sometimes spoke directly to announcers of Fox News television programs instead of reporters for the White House. 7In a statement announcing the White House communications team, Biden said: "Communicating directly and truthfully to the American people is one of the most important duties of a President, and this team will be entrusted with the tremendous responsibility of connecting the American people to the White House." 8Biden has also nominated women to several high-level positions in his Cabinet. On Monday, the president-elect and his transition team announced Janet Yellen as nominee for US Treasury Secretary. If the Senate confirms her, Yellen will become the first woman ever to lead the Treasury Department. 9Last week, Biden named Linda Thomas-Greenfield as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Thomas-Greenfield, a Black woman, served as the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa from 2013 to 2017 under Obama. 10Biden has also nominated Avril Haines as Director of National Intelligence; Neera Tanden as Director of the Office of Management and Budget; and Cecelia Rouse as chair of Council of Economic Advisors. 11As a presidential candidate, Biden promised that people chosen for his administration would represent the diversity, or mix, of the American public. 12In an opinion article published last summer, as protests spread nationwide over the police killings of Black people, Biden wrote: "Across the board -- from our classrooms to our courtrooms to the president's Cabinet -- we have to make sure that our leadership and our institutions actually look like America." 13Biden also said over the summer that he would choose a woman to serve as his vice president. On August 11, he chose Senator Kamala Harris, a Black and Indian woman. Harris is now set to become the country's first female vice president. 14People of color make up almost half of Biden's transition team, Forbes magazine reported last month. Women make up a small majority of the team. 15I'm Ashley Thompson. 16The Associated Press reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it for VOA Learning English, with additional material from Forbes and The New York Times. Caty Weaver was the editor. 17_______________________________________________________________ 18Words in This Story 19actually - adv. used to stress that a statement is true especially when it differs in some way from what might have been thought or expected 20tremendous - adj. very large or great 21transition - n. a change from one state or condition to another 22institution - n. an established organization