“There’s a transition going on in the administration,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus. “We were looking forward to developing a good relationship with Jeff Zients, but at this point, we’re not in that place yet. So we’re still working on it.”
Jayapal later added: “We’re getting to know each other, and I’ve been really pleased with how responsive and open they are.”
Inside and outside the administration, there is concern over whether Zients has the political instincts and Capitol Hill relationships to deftly navigate a crucial period ahead of Biden’s anticipated reelection run, according to interviews with 16 administration officials, lawmakers and others with knowledge of the internal White House dynamics, some of whom were granted anonymity for fear of retribution.
Every chief of staff faces critics and criticism, often from within the building.
Klain endured the same. But Zients’ emergence provides an early test of whether someone without decades of Biden world experience can help the president navigate the political waters. It also will help illuminate whether someone without an extensive political background can manage one of Washington’s most crucial positions.
Zients has his defenders, who say it’s too early to judge and that the complaints have more to do with getting used to a new management style. They stress he is in constant contact with Democrats on the Hill.
But there are early signs that Zients himself recognizes the learning curve he’s up against. Whereas Klain routinely made his own policy and political recommendations to the president, Zients frequently brings in other senior advisers — including Steve Ricchetti and Anita Dunn.
Three administration officials with knowledge of the matter also have said Ricchetti now regularly sits in the daily chief of staff meetings that Biden used to hold one-on-one with Klain, though they stressed Zients gets solo time with the president, too.
White House officials said Zients bringing aides into meetings reflected his way of creating a more “inclusive” environment.
The White House did not make Zients available for comment. But in an email, Klain defended his successor: “What I’m hearing from old White House colleagues and from key allies on Capitol Hill is that Jeff is off to a great start — building on the progress of the past two years, with effective outreach and open communication.”
A longtime corporate executive who previously co-chaired Biden’s transition and directed the White House’s Covid response team, Zients also served in the Obama administration as director of the National Economic Council. He was tapped to bring his managerial skills to the broader day-to-day operations. But six weeks in, congressional Democrats say the decision making in the West Wing has grown more opaque — spurring confusion over policy priorities and debate over how much responsibility Zients is and should be carrying.
One adviser in close touch with a range of key House Democrats graded Zients’ first months on the job bluntly: “I would give him a C-,” the person said. “It’s a generous C-.”
There are signs that Zients is taking steps to shore up his standing among Hill allies. White House officials say he has done consistent outreach to the Hill in his first weeks, speaking with more than 50 lawmakers, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and progressives including Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
On Wednesday, Jayapal said Zients called and spoke with her for roughly 30 minutes on a number of caucus issues, including the expansion of overtime eligibility for workers. She said he has called before and that Zients…
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