Biden expands White House climate team

WASHINGTON » Presidentelect Joe Biden added climate staffers to his White House team Thursday, drawing from the ranks of green groups, environmental advocates and former Democratic administration officials to grow an inner circle that will help him try to slash the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The new hires include David Hayes, who served as Interior Department deputy secretary under Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama; Cecilia Martinez, a prominent environmental advocate based in Minneapolis who advised the transition team; and Stef Feldman, a top Biden campaign aide who helped craft his climate plan.

They will work with several incoming Cabinet officials new to Biden’s orbit, including North Carolina environmental regulator Michael Regan, chosen to run the Environmental Protection Agency, and Rep. Deb Haaland, D-N.M., set to serve as interior secretary.

The incoming White House team - which includes former secretary of state John Kerry and former EPA administrator Gina McCarthy, along with Obama administration veterans in the National Security Council and the White House Counsel’s Office represents the most robust climate-focused group assembled in the West Wing.