Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Latino Lawmakers Push for Biden to Pick Lujan Grisham for His Cabinet

As President- elect Joe Biden is building up his team and getting ready to take office next month, some of the members of Congressional Hispanic Caucus have sent a letter to Biden  asking him to choose Michelle Lujan Grisham, Governor of New Mexico, for the role of Health and Human Services Secretary.

The letter was signed by 32 members of Congress and it noted that the Latino population is immensely diverse indicating that Mexican Americans make up more than 60% of the U.S. Latino population, thus, suggesting that Lujan Grisham would be a great fit for Biden crucial Cabinet as she is also of Mexican decent.

After it had become clear that Biden would be the Democratic nominee, he was faced with pressured from Latinos activists to choose a Latina as his running mate. Lujan Grisham, the first Latina Democratic governor in the United States, was one of two candidates who Biden was considering choosing.

If Lujan Grisham were to be chosen for Biden Cabinet, she would oversee the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which plays an essential part in the country’s response to COVID-19 pandemic. Before becoming governor of New Mexico, she served as the health secretary in her state for four years, and earlier this year she was in the spotlight because of her efficient way of handling the pandemic.

Lujan Grisham was one of the first governors to issue a stay-at-home order and close schools statewide. When asked about her colleagues push to be part of the administration, she said; “While I’m incredibly honored and flattered that my colleagues can see the work I’m doing on ground and know that I have 40 years of comprehensive health care experience, I’m focused on making sure that I’m saving New Mexico lives.”

CNN