WASHINGTON (AP) – Shortly after President-elect Joe Biden’s victory last month, Cabinet hopeful Marcia Fudge pointedly noted that Black people are often typecast into positions such as housing secretary.
On Friday, Biden announced Fudge, a prominent Black congresswoman from Ohio, was his nominee for that very role. She was introduced alongside Biden’s pick for the job she initially sought, head of the Agriculture Department. That went instead to Tom Vilsack, a 70-year-old white man who already spent eight years in the position during the Obama administration.
Those nominations highlight the competing priorities Biden is facing as he fills out the top ranks of his administration. He’s pledged to nominate the most diverse Cabinet in history and restore experience at beleaguered federal agencies. He’s seeking to reward loyalists who have stood with him throughout his lengthy career and give opportunities to new voices in the Democratic Party.
Each of his nominees has to win confirmation in a narrowly divided Senate that could be controlled by Republicans, depending on who wins two runoff races in Georgia next month. The GOP has barely acknowledged Biden’s victory so the cooperation of its senators in the confirmation process is far from certain.
“There’s a lot of pressure, and part of the reason you saw such big turnout is that people are eager for change from the Trump years,” said Democratic strategist Karen Finney. “That creates a lot of high expectations.”