The White House announced on Friday that Deputy National Security Advisor Tony Blinken has been nominated to become the next Deputy Secretary of State.

Blinken will be replacing outgoing Deputy Secretary of State William J. Burns. Blinken, who will serve as the number two man under Secretary of State John Kerry, has worked on foreign policy issues in government for over 20 years.

Blinken was the staff director for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee where he worked with then Senators John Kerry, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden.

During his time with the Obama administration, Blinken served as the national security advisor under Vice President Joe Biden and then as the deputy national security adviser under President Obama.

President Obama and National Security Adviser Susan Rice congratulated Blinken on his recent nomination. President Obama said that Blinken’s integrity and work ethic will make him a good addition at the State Department.

And Rice stated that Blinken’s willingness to reach across the aisle and his “calm demeanor” makes him the best nominee for the Deputy Secretary of State position.