John Kerry’s brother to join Cabinet

The brother of Secretary of State John Kerry will temporarily join President Obama’s Cabinet as the acting head of the Commerce Department.

Cameron Kerry, Commerce’s general counsel, will become acting secretary when Rebecca Blank, the current acting head, steps down at the end of the month. 

The Cabinet-level brother act may be short-lived, however: President Obama earlier this month nominated Chicago hotel executive Penny Pritzker to lead the department. 

{mosads}Kerry’s appointment was noted in an all-staff email Monday from Blank obtained by CNN. Patrick Gallagher, director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, has been named acting deputy secretary.

“I have every confidence that they will provide effective and strong leadership for the Department for as long as they serve,” she wrote.

According to the Washington Post, which first reported Kerry’s appointment, it appears that it may be the first time that brothers served together as Cabinet secretaries. Robert Kennedy famously served as attorney general for his brother, President John F. Kennedy.