Will Joe Biden's family have offices in White House? Why sister Valerie's access is restricted unlike Ivanka Trump
Joe Biden's presidency will be marked by many changes in comparison to how the White House functioned under Donald Trump. While we saw Trump's family members enjoy office space within the White House, the current president has established that his family won't be occupying it for official purposes.
Biden had previously made it clear that nobody from his family would have an office in the White House. He had said, "No one in my family will have an office in the White House, will sit in on meetings as if they are a cabinet member, will, in fact, have any business relationship with anyone that relates to a foreign corporation or a foreign country. Period. Period. End of story."
Why isn't Valerie Biden Owens getting same access as Ivanka Trump?
For a while, speculations were rife that Biden's sister Valerie Biden would be placed in the West Wing office. But, a White House spokesperson dismissed the rumors, reports Daily Mail. They told in a statement, "Valerie will have no formal role and no West Wing office. No family member will have a West Wing office." It was further noted that all office space within the West Wing has been allotted and Valerie will not get an office.
However, the office allocation was different under Trump, who had his daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law, Jared Kushner installed in the building. Reports suggest that the couple did not take any salary for their service.
Meanwhile, Valerie's role in Biden's presidential campaigns has been pivotal and now she's expected to act as a counselor in the administration. Hilary Rosen, longtime Democratic strategist said, "Valerie is the President's oldest and closest political advisor. That will never change. Nonetheless, she is the first to know that his role is different now and so is hers. But she is insightful, smart and touchstone on him staying true to his roots. She is close to the senior Biden team and a valuable counselor for all of them."
Where is Jill Biden placed?
Jill Biden has reportedly set up her office in the East Wing. The First Lady has been paying visits to the DC health clinic, conducting zoom meetings and thanking National Guard members while she's continuing to teach at the community college.
Meanwhile, Biden's daughter Ashley has refused to have any role in her father's administration. She told on NBC's 'Today Show', "I will not have a job with the administration. I will however hopefully use this platform to advocate for social justice, for mental health, to be involved in community development and revitalization."
Who all are occupying the West Wing office?
Besides Biden in the Oval Office, Vice President Kamala Harris and Chief of Staff Ron Klain will have large office suites down the hall. The president's longtime advisers Mike Donilon and Steve Ricchetti will have offices just steps away from the Oval Office, which was previously run by Kushner under the Trump administration.