And in a call organized by the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus on Monday, Asian American Democrats pressed members of the Biden transition team expand the number of those of Asian descent in leadership posts.
I was very disappointed, said Rep. Judy Chu, D-Ca., the caucus chair, after the 30-minute meeting with Bidens team. We felt that our voices werent being heard.”
Bidens choice of Becerra smooths, but does not end, the concerns of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus pushing for Latino representation in one of the top-four Cabinet positions. Beyond Becerra, whose mother was a Mexican immigrant, the caucus has also pressed for a role for Tom Perez, the current chair of the Democratic National Committee and former labor secretary.
As members, we think this was a huge step forward, Gomez said. But he added: More needs to unfold.
Lets not forget, the Trump administration picked people who were totally unqualified for a lot of positions, and at the same time looked a certain way and feel a certain way and came from a certain perspective, he said, so I think that having this diversity is going to be good.
Then-California Gov. Jerry Brown appointed Becerra as Californias top prosecutor in late 2016, after Harris won election to the U.S. Senate. He instantly adopted a combative tone toward the incoming Trump administration.read more
Becerra’s big challenge: Vaccinating Americans against virus
