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Hispanic groups and lawmakers expressed surprise and anger Thursday at the way the government of New Mexico. Michelle Lujan Grisham
Michelle Lynn Lujan GrishamLujan Grisham has turned down an inside job, according to a transition source, the governor of Rhode Island was a finalist for Biden’s health secretary. Overnight health care: Moderna requests emergency use authorization for COVID-19 vaccine candidate | Hospitals Prepare for COVID-19 Surge | United States more than doubled highest number of monthly COVID-19 PLUS cases (D) was dealt with by the elected president Joe biden
Joe Biden Lawsuit Alleges 200,000 Georgian Voters Wrongly Purged from Registration List GOP Lawmaker Blames Newcomer for Presidential Voter Fraud Allegations Haaland is in competition to be first Native American to lead inside MOREthe transition team.
Lujan Grisham was offered but turned down a Cabinet job as secretary of Biden’s Home Department, a source from the transition team at The Hill said on Wednesday. Advocacy groups had pushed her to become Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).
It’s possible the New Mexico governor is still in the squad for the post, especially after Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo publicly said on Thursday that she was no longer ready for the post.
But lawmakers and other Lujan Grisham supporters have expressed surprise that Biden’s team would disclose that they had been offered and rejected a different role in Cabinet.
“I’m just a little confused, this confuses us all,” said Paul Martinez, who sits on the board of directors of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), which pushed Lujan Grisham to get the HHS place. and did not know it was being considered for the interior.
The Hispanic Congressional Caucus “visited the transition team” in a virtual meeting Thursday for how Lujan Grisham was being treated, according to a source familiar with the discussion.
During the conversation, Transition pledged to place a Latina in a Cabinet role, the source said, although it is not clear if it will be the governor of New Mexico.
Another source close to the caucus said the members “were angry” and that Biden’s transition team had “done a disservice not only to the caucus but also to the governor.”
“The feeling is that these leaks out of the transition were an attempt to hurt the governor, and the caucus is not happy about it,” said the source, lamenting the limited number of Hispanic women seeking positions.
“It’s much bigger than ticking the box. These are people who can do the job, so that’s where the insult comes in. ”
Biden’s transition team has not commented on this story.
Another complication arose on Thursday when Lujan Grisham was asked to lead the Democratic Governors Association for 2021, a signal to some observers that she is unlikely to leave for the Biden administration.
Lujan Grisham’s office did not respond to a request for comment, but the governor on Monday called it “flattering” that his name was mentioned for roles in a Biden administration, but did not say that he had been offered a position. .
“No one has told me about any jobs because I’m in the job that can make the biggest difference,” she said.
Many were surprised to learn that the Interior role had been offered to Lujan Grisham, with sources close to the ministry claiming never to hear that Lujan Grisham was being considered for the post.
Instead, the discussion has revolved around other New Mexico lawmakers who are close associates of Lujan Grisham: Rep. Deb Haaland
Debra HaalandHaaland is in competition to be the first Native American to lead Interior Lujan Grisham turned down Interior position, says transitional source Former Senator Carol Moseley Braun steps back for Interior position: ‘A natural fit for me ” MORE (DN.M.), who would go down in history as the first Native American to serve as Home Secretary, as well as Sens. Tom udall
Thomas (Tom) Stewart UdallHaaland has contest to be the first Native American to lead former Senator Carol Moseley Braun for the interior post: ‘A natural fit for me’ Five House Democrats who could join the cabinet Biden PLUS (DN.M.) and Martin heinrich
Martin Trevor HeinrichHaaland Has Contest To Be The First Native American To Lead The Incoming Congress That More Looks Like America Former Senator Carol Moseley Braun Steps Back For Inside Post: “A Natural Fit For Me” MORE (DN.M.). Michael Connor, former assistant secretary of the interior of New Mexico, is also being considered for the job.
“People are just bewildered by all of this,” a congressional source said, noting that it was unusual to see such a dismissal publicly.
Lujan Grisham, like other New Mexico lawmakers, has experience working in a state that has balanced oil and gas development with other conservation values. But she is not seen to have the same passion for this issue as for health care, while figures such as Haaland and Udall are seen to be more interested in environmental issues. She also served as New Mexico’s secretary of health from 2004 to 2007, which is part of why she was seen as a more natural candidate for the HHS position.
The row comes as the Biden administration comes under increasing pressure to keep its promise to select a cabinet that “looks like America.”
Latino advocacy groups have been pushing for Biden to appoint at least five Hispanics to senior cabinet positions.
LULAC, along with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, had supported Haaland for the indoor plaza, and it is already under review by the indoor plaza transition team.
“It’s sad, because it puts two very good people in a very compromising position,” Martinez said.
Representative Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) Had initially been supported by the caucus for the post inside before shedding his weight behind Haaland.
“We are talking about a great candidate with a lot of support from various constituencies,” Grijalva said of Haaland. “It would be good for the Biden administration, good for history, and it would be good for the agency which is badly in need of fixing and redefining. She is a woman who has the capacity for the job. “
Three of Biden’s first nine White House hires were Hispanic, and president-elect appoints Alejandro mayorkas
Alejandro Mayorkas redux of ‘wise men’: Biden’s national security team Immigrant to do homeland security DHS work targeting cybercriminals READ MORE as Secretary of Homeland Security, the first Latino to lead the department.
“There are several highly qualified Latinos and Latinas for the Interior and for any other position within the cabinet,” said Thomas Saenz, president and general counsel of the Mexican American Defense and Legal Education Fund (MALDEF), adding that the choice of interior should have no impact “on the ability of the Biden administration to ensure that at least five Cabinet members belong to the Latin American community.
Others have postulated that Lujan Grisham could still make the cut for HHS.
“I’m not convinced the door has been closed on Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham,” said Janet Murguia, CEO of UnidosUS, who also pushed for broad Latin American representation in Biden’s cabinet. . “We’ve seen a lot of twists and turns on this HHS role or position. And I think we just have to, you know, keep standing up for those who he thinks may be qualified to fill those roles.
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