Biden faces growing pressure over pick for defense secretary
WASHINGTON— President-elect Joe Biden is facing escalating pressure from competing factions within his own party as he finalizes his choice for secretary of defense.
Black leaders have encouraged the incoming president to select an African American to diversify what has so far been a largely white prospective Cabinet, while others arepushing him to appoint a woman to lead the Department of Defense for the first time.
At the same time, a growing collection of progressive groups is opposing the leading female contender, Michele Flournoy, citing concerns about her record and private-sector associations.
A coalition of at least seven progressive groups warned Biden to avoid Flournoy in an open letter to Biden obtainedWednesday by The Associated Press that referenced her recordof “ill-advised policy decisions”— particularly in relation to Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Afghanistan — and an “opaque history of private-sector activity.”
“Ms. Flournoy’s consistent support for military interventions has contributed to devastating crises around the world, including in Yemen,” said Jehan Hakim, chairperson of the Yemeni Alliance Committee, which helped organize the letter. Other contenders are emerging, including retired Army Gen. LloydAustin and Jeh Johnson, who served as the Pentagon’s top lawyer and then as head of the Department of Homeland Security during President Barack Obama’s second term. Austin and Johnson are Black.
The competing pressures are intensifying less than a month into Biden’s urgent push to build an administration while trying to preserve the broad coalition that fueled his victory over President Donald Trump last month.
And facing massive governing challenges once he takes office on Jan. 20, Biden can perhaps least afford to lose the backing of the Democratic Party’s fiery progressive base. Nearly 100 House Democrats belong to the Progressive Caucus, which may wield significant influence over Biden’s policy agenda as Democrats cling to their narrowest House majority in a century.
Biden has already promised to enact a sweeping pandemic relief bill while overhauling health care, immigration and education systems and fighting for the most aggressive environmental protections in U.S. history.
Progressive groups have cheered a handful of Biden’s early hires — particularly Heather Boushey and Jared Bernstein to his Council of Economic Advisers — but have been far from satisfied overall. Despite early disappointment, they have resisted the temptation to embrace an adversarial tone as they decide how to flex their muscles most effectively in the new political climate, especially with several major Cabinet positions and senior positions yet to be filled.
The letter offers support for two potential Flournoy alternatives: Sens. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York.
Advisers for both camps declined to comment, though neither is believed to have emerged as a leading contender.