Biden assembles his team

President-elect Joe Biden is slowly naming the individuals he hopes will guide him through his first term as president and help shape his thinking in the years ahead. Cabinet nominees are career officials and recognized experts in their fields, but they still face a confirmation process that has grown bitterly polarized. With a cast of well-known nominees and a new position focused on climate change, Biden has begun to telegraph some of the issues he intends to prioritize.

Secretary of state

The Harvard grad, who served as staff director for Biden on the Foreign Relations Committee, will work with a team steeped in foreign policy.

Helping lead U.S. diplomatic efforts in the fight against ISIS and managing alliances in Asia during his time in the Obama administration.

Blinken is a defender of global alliances. He's expected to help calm U.S. diplomats and global leaders alike.

"He will rebuild morale and trust in the State Department." - Joe Biden

National security adviser

Formerly one of Hillary Clinton's closest aides. Graduate of Minneapolis' Southwest High School.

Says President Trump's "America First" motto only isolated the U.S. and created opportunities for adversaries.

Biden's goal is "making sure our democracy is robust and strong and inclusive and diverse."

U.N. ambassador

Oldest of eight children who grew up in segregated Louisiana, she was first to graduate from high school and college.

She says she aims to "lead with the power of kindness and compassion to make the world a better place."

"My fellow career diplomats and public servants around the world, I want to say to you, 'America is back, multilateralism is back, diplomacy is back."

Envoy for climate

As a senator from Massachusetts, he ran for president unsuccessfully 16 years ago and then became President Barack Obama's secretary of state.

First drew attention as a decorated Vietnam vet turned anti-war activist.

"This country alone cannot solve this challenge. The whole world must come together. Failure is not an option."

Treasury secretary

She won't just be the first woman to hold the job, she'll be the first person to hold all three of the top U.S. policy positions in economics — including chair of the Council of Economic Advisers and of the Federal Reserve.

Insisting that economics is ultimately about people.

Keynesian economist who believes markets are imperfect and sometimes need government intervention.

Director of national intelligence

Haines previously served as deputy director of the CIA and as President Obama's principal deputy national security adviser.

She worked to increase oversight of controversial covert operations.

The first woman to have the job, she will face the tough assignment of restoring Americans' trust in U.S. intelligence agencies.

"I do not envy the task Haines will have in rebuilding trust in our political leadership." - Rep. Jim Langevin

He would be the first Latino and first immigrant to lead the agency. As an attorney, he has studied the legality of the Trump administration's agenda on immigration.

Helping protect from deportation 700,000 young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children.

The Cuban-born department veteran is seen as a stabilizer after chaos.

"I will work to restore faith in our institutions and protect our security here at home."

Chief of staff

He is considered to be the Democratic Party's expert on debate preparation.

He's a behind-the-scenes strategist with a legal mind and political ear.

"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." - Joe Biden