Dem Sen. Duckworth Says She’ll Vote Down Biden Nominees Until WH Commits to Greater AAPI Representation
On Monday night, Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) called out the Biden administration over a lack of AAPI representation in the president’s Cabinet, saying she will vote no on his nominees until he appoints Asian-American picks to key positions.
Both Duckworth and Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI), according to Axios, raised the issue directly to White House deputy chief of staff Jen O’Malley Dillon.
Per Axios:
Vice President Kamala Harris is the first woman, African American and Asian American to hold that position. Biden’s U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai is also Asian American. The positions are Cabinet level, but they are not considered Cabinet secretaries.
O’Malley Dillon brought these points up during the call in response to Duckworth’s concerns, and spoke about the administration’s commitment to fighting hate against the Asian American community, two sources briefed on the call said.
Duckworth spoke to reporters on Tuesday and said she plans to vote against some Biden administration appointees until she gets a firm commitment from the White House on greater AAPI representation.
Tammy Duckworth just told me she’s voting NO on Biden nominees until President makes commitment/ appoints AAPI picks to key executive branch positions. She said found it “insulting” that a senior WH aide last night pointed to Harris’ South Asian roots when asked about AAPI picks
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 23, 2021
Duckworth tells me that she informed the White House this morning that “I am not going to be voting for any nominee from the White House, other than diversity nominees, probably a no on everyone until they figure this out.” 1/
— Emily Cochrane (@ESCochrane) March 23, 2021
“There’s not enough AAPI representation.” She added that she will support other nominees backed by CBC/CHC/etc — “We work together with each other, we’re friendly with each other, we understand the situation that each of us, and our constituencies face.”
— Emily Cochrane (@ESCochrane) March 23, 2021
Duckworth says she thinks her message got through: “(Senior advisor) Steve Richetti told me that they were committed to figuring it out and that they would get back in touch with me…It’s representation! We have to have diversity at the highest levels of government.”
— Nancy Cordes (@nancycordes) March 23, 2021
.@SenDuckworth has told WH she won’t support another non-diverse Biden official until they have more AAPI nominees.
She and other @CAPAC members are frustrated about the lack of representation in Cabinet positions.
“I’m a no on everything other than the diversity candidates.”
— Ben Siegel (@bensiegel) March 23, 2021
According to CNN’s Manu Raju, Duckworth said in particular she is opposing the nomination of Colin Kahl for a top position at the Pentagon:
Duckworth said she has informed the White House she will oppose the nomination of Colin Kahl as the Pentagon’s top policy chief, whose nomination was already hanging by a thread.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 23, 2021
