Senator cites lack of diversity in vote threat on Biden picks
Sen. Tammy Duckworth on Tuesday said the lack of Asian-American or Pacific Islander representation in President Joe Biden’s Cabinet is “not acceptable” and threatened to withhold her vote on key nominations until the administration addresses the matter.
Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat, told reporters that she raised her concerns to White House officials earlier Tuesday.
Her threat to withhold support could complicate matters for Biden as he moves forward with other high-level administration and judicial appointments that require Senate confirmation in an evenly divided Senate where Vice President Kamala Harris holds a tie-breaking vote.
The senator, who is of Thai descent and had been under consideration for a Cabinet role, noted that presidents over the last 20 years have included AAPI people in their Cabinets.
“I’ve been talking to them for months and they’re still not aggressive, so I’m not going to be voting for any nominee from the White House other than diversity nominees,” Duckworth told reporters. “I’ll be a no on everyone until they figure this out.”
Biden officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Duckworth’s threat to withhold support for nominees.
Harris is the first Black and Indian American woman to hold the vice presidency.
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, who was confirmed last week, is the first Asian American and first woman of color to serve in that position.
Biden also nominated Neera Tanden to serve as director of the Office of
Budget & Management, but she withdrew her nomination after it became clear she would have difficulty winning confirmation.
Tanden faced opposition from Republicans and Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, over insulting tweets aimed at Republican lawmakers that she posted prior to her nomination.
Duckworth said administration officials noted the selections of Tai and Tanden, who are both high-level picks but not part of the president’s Cabinet, when she raised her concerns.
That didn’t sit well with Duckworth.
“To be told that well you have Kamala Harris, we’re very proud of her you don’t need anybody else is insulting,” Duckworth said.
Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, also said she has expressed frustration to the Biden administration about a lack of representation, but stopped short of threatening to block nominees.
“I shared the frustration that the AAPI community has that there’s not been a significant number of
AAPIs at the Cabinet level,” she told reporters. “I don’t think the trade representative is what the community understands (as) a Cabinet level.”
The dispute between the senators and the White House comes as other Asian American lawmakers have begun to push for greater political influence in Washington and other power centers.
In November’s election, 70% of Asian American voters supported Biden, according to AP VoteCast, a nationwide survey of the electorate. Asian Americans now represent the nation’s fastest-growing ethnic minority, accounting for nearly 5% of eligible voters in last year’s election, according to the Pew Research Center.
Later Tuesday, the Senate confirmed Vivek Murthy as surgeon general.
The vote was 57-43, giving Murthy bipartisan support. Murthy, who had been surgeon general under President Barack Obama, has family roots in India, but lived in Miami as a youngster.