Jan 3, 2024 - Politics & Policy

Scoop: Zients plans morale booster for White House staff

Hans Nichols

Illustration of a donkey hoof smashing a party horn. — Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

White House chief of staff Jeff Zients is throwing an off-campus party for hundreds of Biden staffers to celebrate their last three years — and steel the team for the final sprint ahead of the election, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Zients, a millionaire former businessman, knows that White House staff have a grueling year ahead of them. He's using his personal funds to convey appreciation for Biden aides who spend most of their waking hours at work.

The invite was emailed Wednesday evening to hundreds of aides and officials who work in the executive office of the president, according to a copy viewed by Axios.
"To ensure we are able to include as many staff as possible, this invitation is non-transferrable and does not include a guest," Zients wrote.
The party will be held later in the month at a private venue in Northern Virginia.

Between the lines: After the first two years of COVID-19 precautions, Zients has moved to restore a sense of normalcy to the White House.

He opened up the White House mess for in-person dining and he has hosted happy hours in his corner office.

The White House is a hive of in-person work in a federal government in which many employees have been reluctant to return to the workplace.
Zients has been pressing Cabinet secretaries to break their staffs' stubborn work-from-home habits.

Flashback: Zients threw a similar party when he was the head of the National Economic Council at the end of the Obama administration.

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Scoop: Zients plans morale booster for White House staff

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