AP :
In the Biden White House, the first lady wants to keep her job teaching and the second gentleman plans to quit his law firm to support the vice president’s career.
When it comes to political marriages, we’ve reached a new moment. Doug Emhoff, the 56-year-old husband of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, will leave his private law practice by Inauguration Day to focus on his role at the White House, a spokesperson said Tuesday. He’s said little so far about how he’ll approach the role and is still working with the transition team on what issues he’ll tackle.
“We’ve been waiting for this sort of gender switch for decades now,” said Kim Nalder, a professor of political science who has focused on women and gender at California State University-Sacramento. She added, “There is a lot of symbolism from a man stepping back from his high-powered career in order to support his wife’s career.”
Spouses often build public awareness or advocacy campaigns around key issues. Current second lady Karen Pence promotes art therapy and focuses on military families. Jill Biden also spotlighted military families and promoted community colleges as the vice president’s wife. Emhoff’s decision to cut ties with DLA Piper also offered an early test of how a Biden administration would avoid potential ethical issues.
While Emhoff is not a lobbyist, the firm has a large presence lobbying the federal government on behalf of clients including Comcast, Raytheon and the government of Puerto Rico. He took a leave of absence from the firm in August when Biden chose Harris, a U.S. senator from California, as his running mate.
In the Biden White House, the first lady wants to keep her job teaching and the second gentleman plans to quit his law firm to support the vice president’s career.
When it comes to political marriages, we’ve reached a new moment. Doug Emhoff, the 56-year-old husband of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, will leave his private law practice by Inauguration Day to focus on his role at the White House, a spokesperson said Tuesday. He’s said little so far about how he’ll approach the role and is still working with the transition team on what issues he’ll tackle.
“We’ve been waiting for this sort of gender switch for decades now,” said Kim Nalder, a professor of political science who has focused on women and gender at California State University-Sacramento. She added, “There is a lot of symbolism from a man stepping back from his high-powered career in order to support his wife’s career.”
Spouses often build public awareness or advocacy campaigns around key issues. Current second lady Karen Pence promotes art therapy and focuses on military families. Jill Biden also spotlighted military families and promoted community colleges as the vice president’s wife. Emhoff’s decision to cut ties with DLA Piper also offered an early test of how a Biden administration would avoid potential ethical issues.
While Emhoff is not a lobbyist, the firm has a large presence lobbying the federal government on behalf of clients including Comcast, Raytheon and the government of Puerto Rico. He took a leave of absence from the firm in August when Biden chose Harris, a U.S. senator from California, as his running mate.
