Statement from the Reflective Democracy Campaign:
“As President-elect Biden builds out his Cabinet, his selections are proving not just ‘diverse,’ but reflective of the American people in meaningful ways. Reflective leadership means seating people who feel accountable to the communities they come from, and whose life experience inspires them to challenge power and seek transformative change.
“While HUD Secretary Ben Carson sought to dissolve housing protections, Biden appointee Marcia Fudge has already reached out to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, pledging to address the affordable housing crisis. While the current HHS secretary worked to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, AG Becerra’s support of Medicare for All reflects the voices of the under- and uninsured. Rep. Deb Haaland’s nomination as Secretary of the Interior not only positions her as the first-ever Native American Cabinet secretary, but also would put her in charge of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, whose track record of harm toward Native people demands repair. Dr. Miguel Cardona, in vivid contrast to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, cites his kinship with public school students and Spanish-speaking families as his motivation for confronting how poverty and systemic racism impact public education. President-elect Biden’s EPA nominee, Michael Regan, would be the first Black man in the role. His commitment to the environment and climate justice are a rejection of the current EPA administrator’s efforts to effectively dismantle the EPA.
“As an organization that works to build a democracy that truly reflects the American people, we celebrate that President-elect Biden sees a more reflective democracy as a benefit to the country as a whole. While we applaud his appointments, we credit the movement that has demanded real representation. We have a lot of work left to do, but it’s heartening to see reflectiveness becoming a core value of our democracy.”
— Brenda Carter, Director, Reflective Democracy Campaign
