Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s office said in a statement late Tuesday that the Illinois Democrat will “not stand in the way” of President Biden’s nominees after strongly criticizing the administration for its lack of Asian American or Pacific Islander (AAPI) representation on Cabinet-level posts.
Ben Garmisa, her spokesman, said in a statement obtained by Fox News that 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.”
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The statement followed a remarkable rebuke of the administration from the Iraq War veteran and who is the first native of Thailand elected to Congress. She said that it was unacceptable that there is not a “single AAPI in a Cabinet position.”
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“I’ve been talking to them for months. And they’re still not aggressive. So I am not going to be voting for any nominee from the White House, other than diverse nominees. I’ll be a ‘no’ on every one until they figure this out,” the senator told reporters earlier.
Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser, Kelly Phares and Jason Donner contributed to this report