Biden Cabinet Confirmation Live Thread ***hearings, votes, etc.***

[ηєω ƒяσηтιєя]

Join the 21st century?  Fossil fuels still supply 84 percent of global energy.  Investment in fossil fuel technology and efficiency should take center-stage in our energy policy   

Absolutely NOT. Fossil fuels are toxic for the environment (and people) and we have to combat climate change. Fossil fuels are 19th & 20th century energy sources that we have to move away from.

[Pheurton Skeurto]

Pretty interesting development here:

https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1374437476845060104?s=20

[😥]

Pretty interesting development here:

https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1374437476845060104?s=20

Maybe people should be appointed because of their professional qualifications and not because of their race, gender or sexual orientation? I'm very disappointed in this move made by Duckworth. She made me change opinion about her a lot

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Pretty interesting development here:

https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1374437476845060104?s=20

Maybe people should be appointed because of their professional qualifications and not because of their race, gender or sexual orientation? I'm very disappointed in this move made by Duckworth. She made me change opinion about her a lot

tbf, there are enough high-level civil servants, politicians with clear policy focuses, prominent academics, etc. out there, from all different backgrounds, that most positions could be quite easily filled to meet descriptive representation goals without sacrificing competence or confirmability. For example, I like Marty Walsh a lot, but he's not Obviously More Qualified than Julie Su or anything. However, it does look awfully clientelistic to commit to voting against every pick from a President of one's own party until one's own community's representation goals are met.

[President Johnson]

Pretty interesting development here:

https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1374437476845060104?s=20

Hijacking confirmation votes for causes such as this - even though legitimate - is not a proper way to go. Nominees the president puts forwards deserve a fair consideration and vote and not a No vote based on demands you have upon the president. Disappointing move by Duckworth here.

[brucejoel99]

Pretty interesting development here:

https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1374437476845060104?s=20

Hijacking confirmation votes for causes such as this - even though legitimate - is not a proper way to go. Nominees the president puts forwards deserve a fair consideration and vote and not a No vote based on demands you have upon the president. Disappointing move by Baldwin here.

*Duckworth

[JerryArkansas]

Do Indians not count to her, or people from china?  Like there are several from the top of my head who are Asian in the Cabinet, and that's not counting Harris.

[brucejoel99]

Do Indians not count to her, or people from china?  Like there are several from the top of my head who are Asian in the Cabinet, and that's not counting Harris.

Well, her main concern is the lack of Asian-Pacific Americans in particular, but even then, the stance still erroneously implies that Katherine Tai somehow doesn't count (or is not being given a job that comes with the "Secretary" or AG title somehow more disrespectful than literally not being given a job at all?):

Katherine Tai. I know, not a "Secretary," but for all intents & purposes, she - like all Cabinet-level officials - is basically a part of the Cabinet. It's not hypocritical to state that Biden's Cabinet "looks like America" when it's the most diverse Cabinet in history by far, & especially when the AAPI community is represented by one of our chief representatives to the world (Tai), by the official who's responsible for overseeing the implementation of the President's policy agenda (Tanden), & by the person who's literally one heartbeat away from the Presidency (Harris). So let's not be overly critical here.

[politics_king]

We're going to go nowhere on climate change, if we have to keep capitulating to "pro-energy" (aka pro-fossil fuel industry) Senators. They still have too much of a grip on climate policy.

These senators represent the 6.7 million Americans who work in the energy sector

Last I checked... *Looks at piece of paper.* We have over 300 million Americans in the country.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

don't agree with calling it mental illness, but otherwise this is on point.

https://twitter.com/RichardHanania/status/1374445188756611086?s=20

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Pretty interesting development here:

https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1374437476845060104?s=20

If this is more than a performative bluff, she needs to be primaried in 2022 and replaced with someone who isn’t a deranged lunatic.

Also, if she really believes this then she’s arguably outed herself as something of a racist.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Pretty interesting development here:

https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1374437476845060104?s=20

Neoliberal identity politics, folks.

[Roblox]

As part of this, Duckworth is blocking Colin Kahl...Who happens to be a strong supporter of the Iran deal and diplomacy with Iran generally.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

As part of this, Duckworth is blocking Colin Kahl...Who happens to be a strong supporter of the Iran deal and diplomacy with Iran generally.

What a racist piece of sh!t

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Biden should nominate a disabled vet for something and see if she still votes against.

[Bootes Void]

When people say Asian, it's generally implied east Asian(Chines, Korean etc) not south Asian ever, so people should be more specific by what they mean "Asian".

In the UK I know it means South Asians but in the Americas it means east Asian

[ηєω ƒяσηтιєя]

Biden is the first president since Bush 41 to not have an Asian Cabinet Secretary. Also, neither Tai nor Harris are "Cabinet Secretaries". "Cabinet Secretary" = head of a federal government agency/department.

Unilaterally opposing all Biden nominees is probably the wrong move but I don't disagree with Duckworth's message. Also, saying "What about Kamala? She's the VP!" is tokenism. That's like how some white people told us (Black people) that "racism is over" because "Obama is/was president".

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Biden is the first president since Bush 41 to not have an Asian Cabinet Secretary. Also, neither Tai nor Harris are "Cabinet Secretaries". "Cabinet Secretary" = head of a federal government agency/department.

Unilaterally opposing all Biden nominees is probably the wrong move but I don't disagree with Duckworth's message. Also, saying "What about Kamala? She's the VP!" is tokenism. That's like how some white people told us (Black people) that "racism is over" because "Obama is/was president".

I agree in a general sense, but I think that it’s a bit silly to say that Harris is a token or the equivalent to “racism is over” when the whole complaint is explicitly predicated on a desire for more officials of Asian descent. When someone says “Biden hasn’t picked Asian candidates for high-level executive positions”, it’s personally reasonable to point out that the highest-level position he can pick is in fact occupied by an Asian woman. I don’t see how the situation would be meaningfully different if, say, Susan Rice were VP and Julie Su (who I think would be a fine pick) were Labor Secretary.

[ηєω ƒяσηтιєя]

I agree in a general sense, but I think that it’s a bit silly to say that Harris is a token or the equivalent to “racism is over” when the whole complaint is explicitly predicated on a desire for more officials of Asian descent. When someone says “Biden hasn’t picked Asian candidates for high-level executive positions”, it’s personally reasonable to point out that the highest-level position he can pick is an Asian woman. I don’t see how the situation would be meaningfully different if, say, Susan Rice were VP and Julie Su (who I think would be a fine pick) were Labor Secretary.

I was just giving an example. I wasn't saying that Kamala is a token or anything like that.

However, it's fair for Duckworth (and apparently Hirono as well) to be upset at Biden over the lack of high-level Asian representation in the Biden administration. BEFORE Biden finalized his Cabinet, he received a letter from the Congressional Asian Pacific Caucus, Hispanic Caucus AND Black Caucus urging him to choose an AAPI Cabinet Secretary - and yet he still didn't. That was very tone-deaf on Biden's part and looks worse now in recent light.

Instead of appointing his "friends" like Vilsack, McDonough, Walsh - Biden could have appointed a person of Asian descent to any of those positions. Instead of choosing Gina Raimondo, he could have chosen an AAPI person to be Commerce Secretary (like Indra Nooyi).

[Co-Chair Bagel23]

Pretty interesting development here:

https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1374437476845060104?s=20

I'm an asian american and this is so moronic

[Sestak]

blago for senate

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Tammy Duckworth Threatens To Block Biden Nominees Over Lack Of AAPI Representation
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tammy-duckworth-aapi-nominees_n_605a416bc5b66a80f4eb9619

More on Duckworth's pledge - She will still vote for Minorities and LGBTQ - but if it's a straight white man or woman, she's voting No.

[brucejoel99]

6.8% of the total U.S. population is AAPI. There are 25 members of the Biden Cabinet: 2 of said members - the VP & the USTR (who's a member of the Cabinet as it's currently constituted because, yes, Cabinet-level counts) - are AAPI, meaning 8% of the Biden Cabinet is AAPI. Biden pledged to appoint a Cabinet that "looked like America." What's the issue here?

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Young passes CLOTURE 62-38:

NAYs ---38
Barrasso (R-WY)
Blackburn (R-TN)
Boozman (R-AR)
Braun (R-IN)
Capito (R-WV)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Cotton (R-AR)
Crapo (R-ID)
Cruz (R-TX)
Daines (R-MT)
Ernst (R-IA)
Fischer (R-NE)
Grassley (R-IA)
Hagerty (R-TN)
Hawley (R-MO)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Johnson (R-WI)
Lankford (R-OK)
Lee (R-UT)
Lummis (R-WY)
Marshall (R-KS)
McConnell (R-KY)
Moran (R-KS)
Paul (R-KY)
Portman (R-OH)
Risch (R-ID)
Romney (R-UT)
Rounds (R-SD)
Rubio (R-FL)
Sasse (R-NE)
Scott (R-FL)
Scott (R-SC)
Thune (R-SD)
Tillis (R-NC)
Toomey (R-PA)
Tuberville (R-AL)
Wicker (R-MS)
Young (R-IN)

Young confirmed 63-37:

NAYs ---37
Barrasso (R-WY)
Blackburn (R-TN)
Boozman (R-AR)
Braun (R-IN)
Capito (R-WV)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Cotton (R-AR)
Crapo (R-ID)
Cruz (R-TX)
Daines (R-MT)
Ernst (R-IA)
Fischer (R-NE)
Hagerty (R-TN)
Hawley (R-MO)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Johnson (R-WI)
Lankford (R-OK)
Lee (R-UT)
Lummis (R-WY)
Marshall (R-KS)
McConnell (R-KY)
Moran (R-KS)
Paul (R-KY)
Portman (R-OH)
Risch (R-ID)
Romney (R-UT)
Rounds (R-SD)
Rubio (R-FL)
Sasse (R-NE)
Scott (R-FL)
Scott (R-SC)
Thune (R-SD)
Tillis (R-NC)
Toomey (R-PA)
Tuberville (R-AL)
Wicker (R-MS)
Young (R-IN)

Murthy passes CLOTURE 57-43:

NAYs ---43
Barrasso (R-WY)
Blackburn (R-TN)
Blunt (R-MO)
Boozman (R-AR)
Braun (R-IN)
Burr (R-NC)
Capito (R-WV)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Cotton (R-AR)
Cramer (R-ND)
Crapo (R-ID)
Cruz (R-TX)
Daines (R-MT)
Ernst (R-IA)
Fischer (R-NE)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Hagerty (R-TN)
Hawley (R-MO)
Hoeven (R-ND)
Hyde-Smith (R-MS)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Johnson (R-WI)
Kennedy (R-LA)
Lankford (R-OK)
Lee (R-UT)
Lummis (R-WY)
McConnell (R-KY)
Moran (R-KS)
Paul (R-KY)
Risch (R-ID)
Rounds (R-SD)
Rubio (R-FL)
Sasse (R-NE)
Scott (R-FL)
Scott (R-SC)
Shelby (R-AL)
Thune (R-SD)
Tillis (R-NC)
Toomey (R-PA)
Tuberville (R-AL)
Wicker (R-MS)
Young (R-IN)


Murthy confirmed by the same 57-43 vote.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

6.8% of the total U.S. population is AAPI. There are 25 members of the Biden Cabinet: 2 of said members - the VP & the USTR (who's a member of the Cabinet as it's currently constituted because, yes, Cabinet-level counts) are AAPI, meaning 8% of the Biden Cabinet is AAPI. Biden pledged to appoint a Cabinet that "looked like America." What's the issue here?

Neither the US trade Rep nor the VP is a cabinet secretary as Duckworth is defining the term.