Sen. Tammy Duckworth says she'll vote no on Biden nominees until White House taps Asian candidates

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) is frustrated with the lack of Asian American and Pacific Islander representation in the Biden administration, and on Tuesday she said it'll cost them her vote on "all non-diversity nominees" until they reverse course and select Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for key executive branch positions.

President Biden has made a point of trying to create a diverse Cabinet, but Duckworth has criticized its makeup, noting that none of the 15 secretaries are of Asian or Pacific Island descent. Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai are both Asian American and hold Cabinet-level positions, but they are not considered Cabinet secretaries, Axios notes.

Duckworth, who is of Asian descent, said the lack of representation is "not acceptable" and she'll withhold her vote for Biden's judicial and sub-Cabinet nominees for now, but "hopefully they figure it out." Duckworth did say she will support nominees backed by the Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Hispanic Caucus, however.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), who is also of Asian descent, said she's considering following Duckworth's lead. Read more at Axios.