Senator Tammy Duckworth vows to oppose Biden nominees over lack of Asian-American representation
- The lawmaker, the first Thai-American woman in Congress, said a call between Senate Democrats and the president’s aides was the ‘trigger’ for her hold-up plans
- Biden has been criticised for the lack of Asian-American representation on his Cabinet
Long-simmering Democratic tensions over a lack of Asian-American representation in President Joe Biden’s administration boiled over on Tuesday when Senator Tammy Duckworth vowed to block future Biden picks without a White House plan to tap more nominees of Asian-American descent.
Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat and the first Thai-American woman in Congress, said it was “unacceptable” that Biden has named no Asian-American Cabinet secretaries and vowed to oppose nominees on the floor “until they figure this out”.
Her gambit could prove a substantial obstacle to any future Biden nominees in the 50-50 Senate, depending on whether Duckworth holds firm after a two-week Senate recess that starts after this week.
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Democratic lawmaker accuses Republican of putting a ‘bullseye’ on the backs of Asian-Americans
Duckworth told reporters that a Monday evening call between Senate Democrats and Biden aides was the “trigger” for her hold-up plans. After she asked about Asian-American representation in the Biden administration, Duckworth recalled, White House deputy chief of staff Jen O’Malley Dillon made a reference to Vice-President Kamala Harris’ South-Asian-American heritage that the senator called “incredibly insulting”.
Duckworth’s promised opposition – which she said would not include “diversity nominees” like those backed by the Congressional Asian Pacific American, Hispanic, or Black Caucuses – comes as Asian-American lawmakers and advocates have expressed frustration about their lack of representation in Biden’s Cabinet.
