Jeff Zients, Biden's former COVID czar, set to serve as next White House chief of staff

Washington — President Biden is set to choose Jeff Zients, his former COVID-19 policy czar, to serve as his next chief of staff, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Zients is expected to take the job shortly after the president's State of the Union address on Feb. 7, the people familiar with the plans said. He will succeed Ron Klain, who is preparing to step down after just more than two years in the role as chief and decades of service to Mr. Biden as a Senate staffer, vice presidential chief of staff and most recently as his top West Wing aide.

Zients didn't respond to requests for comment from CBS News on Sunday. The Washington Post was first to report on Zients' selection.