As part of a mostly symbolic elevation that recognized the US spymaster’s larger position in the administration, President Joe Biden revealed on Friday that he has extended an invitation to CIA Director William Burns to serve on the cabinet.
Biden praised Burns for providing him “clear, straightforward analysis that prioritizes the safety and security of the American people.”
“Under his leadership, the CIA is delivering a clear-eyed, long-term approach to our nation’s top national security challenges — from tackling Russia’s brutal aggression against Ukraine, to managing responsible competition with the People’s Republic of China, to addressing the opportunities and risks of emerging technology,” Biden said.
Due to Biden’s decision, Burns will sit in the cabinet alongside all of the department secretaries and his direct superior, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines.
CIA directors served on presidential cabinets before the position of Director of National Intelligence was created in 2005.
Both of Donald Trump’s CIA directors, Mike Pompeo and Gina Haspel, were part of the cabinet from 2017 until 2021.
Burns, a 67-year-old career diplomat who served as ambassador to Russia, assumed control of the Central Intelligence Agency in 2021.
He has played a key role in preserving the severely strained ties between Washington and Moscow ever since Russia invaded Ukraine.
He travelled to Moscow a few weeks prior to the invasion to inform the authorities that the West was aware of the invasion plans and would respond.
And last month, as the United States worried about the ramifications for global security of the Wagner private military group’s short-lived rebellion against Moscow, Burns spoke at length with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Naryshkin, the SVR foreign intelligence chief.
Burns said in a statement that he was honored and that Biden’s invitation “recognizes the essential contributions to national security the Central Intelligence Agency makes every day.”
Haines meanwhile said she was “absolutely delighted” at the move.
