The Biden administration has pledged to appoint a “senior level” liaison for Asian American Pacific Islanders after several sitting lawmakers criticized the White House for its lack of Asian American representation in the president’s Cabinet. 

What You Need To Know

  • The White House announced Tuesday evening it will appoint a "senior level" liaison for Asian American Pacific Islanders 

  • Democratic Sens. Mazie Hirono (HI) and Tammy Duckworth (IL) said they would not vote to confirm any more non-diversity, Cabinet-level nominees until the administration showed a commitment to improve AAPI representation

  • The threats to withhold support could have complicated matters for Biden as he moves forward with other high-level administration and judicial appointments that require confirmation in an evenly divided Senate

  • Both Hirono and Duckworth walked back their protests against non-diverse nominees after the White House announced the liaison position

"The President has made it clear that his Administration will reflect the diversity of the country," White House press secretary Jen Psaki wrote in a statement late Tuesday. "That has always been, and remains our goal. The White House will add a senior level Asian American Pacific Islander liaison, who will ensure the community's voice is further represented and heard."

The trouble started shortly after the fifteen positions in Biden’s Cabinet were officially filled on Monday, when the Senate voted in favor of confirming Boston Mayor Marty Walsh as Secretary of the Department of Labor. 

Earlier Tuesday, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), voiced frustrations with the Biden administration, saying she felt they weren’t taking her concerns over representation seriously, instead largely pointing to vice president Kamala Harris as evidence of their commitment to diversity. 

Duckworth told reporters that she would decline to vote in favor of any future White House nominees unless she saw improvements in its representation. 

"To be told that you have Kamala Harris, we are very proud of her, you don't need anybody else, is insulting," she said early Tuesday. 

While the vice president is technically part of the Cabinet — and Kamala Harris made history as the country’s first female, Black, and Asian-American second-in-command — Democratic lawmakers grew concerned that the administration hadn’t chosen a single Asian American person to head a major department. 

"There's not a single AAPI in a Cabinet position. That's not acceptable. That's what I told the White House,” Duckworth told reporters Tuesday. "I've been talking to them for months, and they're still not aggressive, so I'm not going to be voting for any nominee from the White House other than diversity nominees. I'll be a 'no' on everyone until they figure this out."

Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI), who was the first Asian-American woman elected to serve in the Senate, said she planned to join Duckworth’s protest Tuesday, saying she "would like to have a commitment from the White House that there be more diversity representation in the Cabinet and in senior White House positions." 

"Until that happens, I will be joining (Duckworth) in voting on non-diversity nominees,” Hirono said. 

It appears the White House reached out to the two Senators shortly after Hirono and Duckworth aired their concerns. Hirono tweeted that she had a “private conversation” with an unnamed member of the administration Tuesday night, which assured the Hawaii lawmaker to “continue voting to confirm the historic and highly qualified nominees President Biden has appointed to serve in his administration.” 

 

“I welcome the appointment of a senior level White House liaison to the AAPI community to further strengthen our voice,” she added. “I had a productive conversation with the White House today to make clear my perspective about the importance of diversity in the President’s cabinet.”

Duckworth similarly backed off her plan to vote against non-diversity nominees following Psaki’s announcement, saying in a statement that she hopes the administration will continue to include more AAPI leaders. 

"Sen. Duckworth appreciates the Biden Administration's assurances that it will do much more to elevate AAPI voices and perspectives at the highest levels of government, including appointing an AAPI senior White House official to represent the community, secure the confirmation of AAPI appointments and advance policy proposals that are relevant and important to the community," Duckworth spokesman Ben Garmisa wrote in a statement. "Accordingly, she will not stand in the way of President Biden's qualified nominees—which will include more AAPI leaders."

The threats to withhold support could have complicated matters for Biden as he moves forward with other high-level administration and judicial appointments that require confirmation in an evenly divided Senate, where Vice President Kamala Harris holds a tie breaking vote.

Katherine Tai, who is Taiwanese American, is in the Cabinet as Biden’s top trade envoy. Dr. Vivek Murthy, the son of Indian parents, was confirmed Tuesday as surgeon general, a sub-Cabinet position.

Biden had defended the makeup of his Cabinet to reporters Tuesday evening, saying, “We have the most diverse Cabinet in history.” He added, “We have a lot of Asian Americans that are in the Cabinet and in sub-Cabinet levels.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.