Biden holds first Cabinet meeting a day after proposing infrastructure plan

US President Joe Biden held his first in-person Cabinet meeting one day after announcing his massive infrastructure plan.

Biden, at the meeting on Thursday afternoon, tasked five members of his Cabinet to take the lead on selling the infrastructure proposal to the American people and Congress.

The US president, in brief remarks at the top of the meeting, announced that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo would take on the additional responsibility.

"I want to thank them in advance for the role they're going to play with this added assignment I'm asking them to take on. And we'll be discussing that today, among other things," Biden said of the meeting.

Also read | Biden outlines far-reaching plan to reengineer US infrastructure

Biden also issued a directive to his Cabinet members, asking them to follow through on the "Buy American" executive action he took back in January.

Vice President Kamala Harris and White House chief of staff Ron Klain, both members of the Cabinet, were in attendance. And so were the 15 confirmed head of departments, plus seven Cabinet-level department heads.

The full Cabinet did not meet in the room that bears its name, and instead assembled in the more spacious East Room to allow for social distancing. All attendees, including the president, wore masks. 

The focus of the meeting remained on packaging the benefits of the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill that Biden signed into law in March.