Biden promises AAPI post after senators’ ultimatum

WASHINGTON — The White House agreed late Tuesday to add a senior-level Asian American Pacific Islander liaison after two Democratic senators threatened to vote no on nominees because of what they said was a lack of sufficient AAPI representation in President Joe Biden’s Cabinet.

“The President has made it clear that his Administration will reflect the diversity of the country. That has always been, and remains our goal,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement. “The White House will add a senior level Asian American Pacific Islander liaison, who will ensure the community’s voice is further represented and heard.”

The decision came after Sens. Tammy Duckworth, D-ill., and Mazie Hirono, Dhawaii, vowed Tuesday afternoon to vote no on Biden’s “nondiversity” Cabinet nominees until the White House addressed the issue.

Lawmakers have been pushing Biden for months for greater AAPI representation in the most senior levels of his administration.

The White House didn’t immediately respond to questions about who might fill the role or whether it was a new position. The White House has for several years had a liaison to the AAPI community.

All 15 of Biden’s Cabinet secretary slots have been filled, and there are no Asian Americans or Pacific Islanders among them, the first time in more than 20 years a president’s Cabinet hasn’t included at least one AAPI secretary.

Duckworth said that over the past six months she repeatedly has offered the White House the names of “many well-qualified AAPIS” for Cabinet positions, but those individuals “never even got a phone call,” she said.

“At this point … they can call me and tell me what the proposal is,” Duckworth said of the White House. “But until then, I am a no vote on the floor on all nondiversity nominees. You know, I will vote for racial minorities and I will vote for LGBTQ. But anybody else, I’m not voting for.”

Hirono later said she spoke with the White House on Monday night and was joining Duckworth in her push for AAPI representation in Biden’s Cabinet.

“I talked with Tammy about her clarified position, and I’m joining her in there, which means that we would like to have a commitment from the White House that there’ll be more diversity representation in the Cabinet, and in senior White House positions,” Hirono said. “And until that happens, I will be able to join her in voting no on nondiversity nominees. I think that is a reasonable position.”

Biden had nominated Neera Tanden, whose parents immigrated from India, to serve as director of the Office of Management and Budget, but Tanden later withdrew her nomination after it became clear she would not have the votes to be confirmed.

Katherine Tai, who was sworn in last week as the U.S. trade representative, is of Asian descent, but her position is not a secretarylevel one in the Cabinet.