JOHN F. KERRY
Sworn in Jan. 20
After serving as President Obama’s secretary of State, Kerry has a new diplomatic post — one that didn’t exist until now. His role in this new Cabinet-level position will be to restore the United States’ position as a global leader in combating climate change and to repair the country’s credibility with foreign leaders after the Trump administration’s decision to pull out of the 2015 Paris climate accord. He will also have a seat on the National Security Council. During his four years as the country’s top diplomat, Kerry helped negotiate the Paris agreement and the Iran nuclear deal. From 1985 to 2013, he represented Massachusetts in the Senate. After the Obama administration, Kerry launched a group of celebrities and world leaders working to combat climate change, called World War Zero. The creation of his position is a sign of President Biden’s desire to reengage in international climate talks and to elevate the issue of global warming within his administration.
This article was reported by Times staff writers Noah Bierman, Jackie Calmes, David Cloud, Evan Halper, David Lauter, Chris Megerian, Molly O’Toole, Anna M. Phillips, Eli Stokols, Del Quentin Wilber, Tracy Wilkinson and Sarah D. Wire.