Illinois Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth said Tuesday she will stop voting on President Biden’s candidates in protest of her lack of Asian-American nationals in cabinet positions.
Duckworth has the power to shut down only controversial candidates in the uniformly divided Senate, although some of Biden’s nominees have passed with significant Republican support.
“There is no representation of AAPI in the cabinet. There is no AAPI in a cabinet position. This is unacceptable,” Duckworth told Capitol reporters, using a term for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
“President Biden will be the first president in 20 years without a cabinet secretary to be the APPI,” he said.
Duckworth said he made his decision after White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jennifer O’Malley Dillon made an “incredibly insulting” comment Monday evening after Biden spoke on a webcast with Senate Democrats.
Dillon, campaign director for Biden 2020, allegedly suggested to Duckworth that Asian Americans should settle for the role of Vice President Kamala Harris. Harris is biracial; his mother was born in India and his father is black and from Jamaica.
“Being told that‘ well, you have Kamala Harris, we’re so proud of her, you don’t need anyone else ’is insulting … last night, that was the trigger for me,” Duckworth said.
“It simply came to our notice then. And that’s not something you’d say to the black man: “Well, you have Kamala, we won’t put any more African Americans in the cabinet because you have Kamala.”
Duckworth said that “when I asked about AAPI’s representation … the first words that came out of the staff’s mouth were, ‘We’re very proud of Vice President Harris,’ which is incredibly insulting.”
He confirmed to reporters that it was Dillon who made the statement.
“I’ve been talking to them for months. And they haven’t addressed it yet, so I won’t vote for any White House candidate other than the diversity candidate, probably a “no” to everyone until they check it out, ”Duckworth said.
Duckworth, who was born in Thailand, said: “I told you this this morning. So hopefully they will understand. Because I am a “no,” apart from the candidates for diversity. “
When asked to clarify who she would support as a “diversity” candidate, Duckworth said, “I will vote for racial minorities and vote for LGBTQ, but I will not vote for anyone else.”
He said his protest encompasses judicial candidates and executive positions. In addition to being able to vote in favor of candidates, individual senators can place “withholdings” that hold back confirmation votes.
Duckworth’s protest against Biden nominees comes after the shooting of eight in the Atlanta massage parlor last week. Six of the victims were Asian Americans and some see the killings as a possible hate crime, although the suspect Robert Long, 21, denied racism and blamed his sexual addiction.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The 15 secretaries in Biden’s cabinet are confirmed, so there is currently no place to cover with an Asian candidate unless Biden takes office.
Duckworth said he is interested in Biden making “a commitment to a future cabinet secretary” or choosing an Asian-American to head the Federal Communications Commission or the White House Office of Management and Budget.
Currently, there is a cabinet-level Biden official who is Asian American sales representative Katherine Tai.
Biden’s failed candidate for White House budget director Neera Tanden, who is American, was withdrawn after senators opposed him on the basis of his attack tweets addressed to them.
Previous administrations have had secretaries from the Asian-American cabinet.
Former President Donald Trump had in his office the Secretary of Transportation, Elaine Chao, who was previously Secretary of Labor for President George W. Bush. Asian-American Norman Mineta was Bush’s transportation secretary and Gary Locke was former President Barack Obama’s secretary of commerce.