Joe Biden still has a ton of cabinet positions and sub-positions to fill, mostly because he’s been nominating lunatics, and it looks like it will stay that way. Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth has said she will no longer vote to confirm Biden’s white nominees until he nominates an Asian for a cabinet position. With a 50/50 split Senate, one democrat defection sinks all of Biden’s prospects.
Trouble started brewing for Biden last night as reported by Axios:
Two Democratic senators of Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage confronted a senior White House official Monday night over the absence of AAPI representation in President Biden’s Cabinet, four Senate aides familiar with the call tell Axios.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), backed up by Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), leveled the complaint to deputy chief of staff Jen O’Malley Dillon during a Zoom call between the White House and the Senate Democratic Caucus.
Duckworth noted that the Cabinet lacks a single AAPI member, according to four Senate Democratic aides briefed on the call. Hirono backed her up.
Apparently the White House told Duckworth and Hirono that Kamala Harris is Asian (she’s not) so relax. This didn’t sit well with Duckworth so, as reported by CNN’s Manu Raju, she laid down the identity politics gauntlet:
Tammy Duckworth just told me she’s voting NO on Biden nominees until President makes commitment/ appoints AAPI picks to key executive branch positions. She said found it “insulting” that a senior WH aide last night pointed to Harris’ South Asian roots when asked about AAPI picks
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 23, 2021
“To be told that you have Kamala Harris, we are proud of her, you don’t need anybody else is insulting…That’s not something you would say to the Black caucus: That you have Kamala, we’re not going to be put any African Americans in the Cabinet, why would you say that to AAPIs?”
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 23, 2021
“When I asked about AAPI representation in the second part, the first words out of the staff’s mouth is: ‘We’re very proud of Vice President Harris, which is incredibly insulting,” Duckworth said.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 23, 2021
She said until there are AAPI nominees to vacant positions — such as OMB, FCC or a commitment to a future Cabinet secretaries – she’s a no vote.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 23, 2021
“Until then, I am a no vote on the floor on all non-diversity nominees,” she said, including sub-Cabinet choices and judicial nominees. She said she would support racial minorities and LGBTQ nominees.
After informing the White House, Duckworth said: “They will get back to me.”
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 23, 2021
Hirono is joining Duckworth in this stand. They are indicating that they will vote against non-minority nominees on the floor — not in committee, which could potentially allow Colin Kahl to advance out of Senate Armed Services tomorrow.https://t.co/5pl7UGGbSi
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 23, 2021
D’oh! Biden just lost 2 democrats in the Senate. He could get around this boycott by nominating more trannies and other unqualified freaks, but my guess is he’ll bow to the will of identity politics and find some token AAPI nominees.
It must be nice to able to say you’re not voting for someone because of their race or sexual orientation without the liberal media freaking out about the racism and bigotry of it all. Being a democrat has its privileges.
