Susan Rice, President Joe Biden's domestic policy adviser, is set to step down from her post next month. The move brings to a close Rice's prolific, wide-ranging and at times controversial tenure overseeing Biden’s domestic agenda. Rice's last day in the White House will be May 26th, with the process for selecting her successor including candidates both inside and outside the administration.
The timing of Rice's departure also coincides with a growing controversy over the administration's handling of migrant children who arrive unaccompanied at the southern border. Despite this controversy, President Joe Biden announced Monday that he praised Rice for her service, counsel and friendship during her time in office.
"Susan has been an invaluable member of my team," said President Biden. "She played a significant role in helping us achieve key milestones related to health care reform like expanding access to affordable insurance through the Affordable Care Act and capping insulin prices at $35."
Rice recently faced criticism after it was reported by The New York Times that she attributed the rise of unaccompanied minors crossing the southern border illegally due to what she called "the generosity" of their policies under President Biden.
In response to these critiques on immigration policy during her tenure, Susan Rice stated: “I entered this administration intending to stay two years but remained a few months longer because I believed we were making important strides toward improving our nation’s future.”
During her term as domestic policy adviser, Susan worked on various initiatives such as helping Medicare negotiate lower prescription drug prices for seniors and increasing access to child care and long-term care services across America.
President Joe Biden noted that Susan is distinguished as being one person in US history who has served both as national security advisor under former President Barack Obama and now his own domestic policy advisor.
While serving under Obama’s administration from 2013-2017 as National Security Advisor, Rice's work focused on international security, diplomacy and intelligence matters.
As she prepares to leave the White House in May, Susan Rice will maintain her advisory role under former President Barack Obama. Her contributions during her tenure as domestic policy adviser for Biden have left a lasting impact on various aspects of US life, including healthcare reform and social welfare programs.
The search for Susan Rice's successor is underway, with potential candidates being considered from both inside and outside the administration. The new appointee will be expected to continue working towards President Biden’s ambitious goals for health care reform, immigration policy changes, and further improvements in American society.