were made for any political or otherwise improper reasons during the 2016 election period or the ensuing presidential transition. Political positions Rice criticized the United States' close relationship with Saudi Arabia despite the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses, Saudi Arabia's diplomatic dispute with Canada, Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen and Saudi Arabian-led blockade against Qatar. Rice also criticized Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, which critics say gave Turkey the green light to invade and occupy northern Syria and attack Kurdish forces who assisted the U.S. in the destruction of the Islamic State. Rice has criticized Israeli proposals to annex parts of the West Bank and Jordan Valley, stating that such a move would make it more difficult to sustain traditionally bipartisan support for Israel in the United States. Rice takes the view that a two-state solution is the only way to keep Israel both a Jewish and democratic state. Potential Senate campaign After U.S. Senator Susan Collins from Maine voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, Rice publicly considered challenging Collins in 2020, before announcing in April 2019 that she would not run for Senate. Director of Domestic Policy Council (2021–present) In July 2020, it was widely reported that Rice was under consideration to be Joe Biden's vice presidential running mate in the 2020 general election. However, Kamala Harris was selected as Biden's running mate on August 11, 2020. On September 5, 2020, Rice was announced to be a member of the advisory council of the Biden-Harris Transition Team, which planned the Biden's presidential transition. In November, she was named a candidate for Secretary of State in the Biden Administration. Biden chose Rice to head the Domestic Policy Council. This was considered a surprise by many political commentators, noting her experience in foreign policy over domestic policy. Affiliations Rice is a distinguished visiting research fellow at American University's School of International Service and non-resident senior fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. She is also a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times. Rice currently serves on the board of Netflix and is a member of the Aspen Strategy Group, American Academy of Diplomacy, and Council on Foreign Relations. Personal life Rice married former ABC News executive producer Ian Officer Cameron on September 12, 1992, at the