Biden Picks Obama Alum Louisa Terrell To Head Legislative Affairs Operation

Who is Louisa Terrell - White House Director of Legislative Affairs: Biography, Career, Profile and Personal Life
Louisa Terrell - White House Director of Legislative Affairs - Photo: Bloomberg

President elect-Biden has named Louisa Terrell as White House director of legislative affairs, marking another step for Biden as he continues to assemble his policy operation.

Terrell is currently part of Biden's transition team. Her selection was one of four White House staffing announcements Biden's transition team made Friday, bringing back into the fold several former Obama administration hands who had previously worked closely with Biden.

The steady stream of staff announcements indicates that Biden has no intention of allowing President Donald Trump's refusal to concede slow down his own transition process. He is expected to make his first Cabinet announcements Tuesday, including longtime aide Antony Blinken as secretary of state.

She previously worked in the Obama administration, assisting then-President Barack Obama with legislative affairs as well.

Terrell also has a background in the U.S. Senate, working for then-Sen. Biden and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.

Outside of government, Terrell has had senior policy roles at Yahoo! and Facebook. She last served as the deputy general counsel and head of public affairs for McKinsey and Company.

Heading into next year, Terrell will be a key figure in fostering discussions between Biden and congressional lawmakers, especially since Biden has pledged to put forward new coronavirus relief legislation by the end of January, cites npr.

Plus, Biden also campaigned on a robust policy agenda, laying out large plans on addressing climate change, student debt and tax reform. Many of these initiatives will also require work with Congress.

Along with Biden's announcement of Terrell, he also named Cathy Russell as director of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, Carlos Elizondo as White House social secretary and Mala Adiga as policy director to first lady Jill Biden.

White House legislative team takes shape

Earlier on Monday, Biden also announced two other senior White House hires: Reema Dodin and Shuwanza Goff, who will both serve as deputy directors in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs.

Dodin is an alumnae of Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin’s office, where she most recently served as his deputy chief of staff and floor director. Like Dodin, Goff comes to the White House from Capitol Hill, where she is a longtime aide to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and was most recently floor director for the House.

Both Goff and Dodin will report to Obama administration alum Louisa Terrell, who was tapped last week to serve as the White House director of legislative affairs.

Terrell, Goff and Dodin will be tasked with transforming Biden’s campaign pledges into actual legislation that has a fighting chance in what is expected to be a closely divided House and Senate. At the top of their agenda is a massive coronavirus relief package that both Republicans and Democrats say will need to be passed shortly after Biden takes office in late January, cites CNBC.

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