‘Insulting’: Sen. Tammy Duckworth says she won’t support non-diverse Biden nominees because of lack of AAPI representation
is shaping up to be the most diverse in U.S. history – does not include a single Cabinet secretary of Asian American or Pacific Islander descent. Every presidential Cabinet since 2000 has included an Asian American at the secretary level until now.
Duckworth told reporters that when she has brought up this issue in the past – and most recently last night – White House officials respond by pointing to Kamala Harris’ role as vice president, which is part of the cabinet. Harris is the first African American and South Asian American woman to be elected vice president.
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Duckworth, who was born in Thailand, said the notion the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) community doesn’t “need anybody else is insulting.”
“That is not something you would say to the Black caucus, ‘Well, you have Kamala, we’re not going to put any more African Americans in the Cabinet because you have Kamala.’ Why would you say it to AAPI?” Duckworth asked.
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The Senate confirmed Katherine Tai last week as the top U.S. trade representative. She will be the first Asian American person and first woman of color to hold the position which is part of Biden’s Cabinet, but does not have a secretary title.
Duckworth’s position shows how fragile Biden’s task is to win approval for nominees and key legislation in a chamber that’s evenly divided 50-50.
As West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin recently has shown on the minimum wage debate, unemployment insurance and the filibuster, a single senator can wield outsized power to pass – or prevent – key legislation.
It’s not clear which – if any – Biden nominees could be scuttled by opposition from Duckworth. But one might be Colin Kahl, a former Obama-era aide whom Biden has nominated as undersecretary of defense for policy. Kahl will likely need every Democrat in the 50-50 Senate to support him after his past jabs at Republicans and his harsh criticism of the Trump administration’s decision to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
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Duckworth’s concerns also follow last week’s mass shooting in Atlanta that left six Asian Americans dead.
The tragedy, as well as an increase in hate crimes against the racial minority, has prompted some in Congress who are of Asian descent to sound the alarm on derisive language about the coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic more than a year ago.
Contributing: Marc Ramirez, Joey Garrison USA TODAY