The chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus says she was "very disappointed" after meeting with President-elect Joe Biden's transition team to make a push for broader Asian American and Pacific Islander representation in the Cabinet.
Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., said Monday the group was specifically asking Biden's team to elevate the nomination of Vivek Murthy for Surgeon General to a Cabinet-level position.
"It would ensure the diversity that this Cabinet needs and desires, while also making sure that there is a public health official's voice in the Cabinet," Chu said after the 30-minute call.
Biden's team told her it was unlikely the Surgeon General's position in the administration, which is not currently a Cabinet post, would be changed.
"I was very disappointed," Chu said. "We felt that our voices weren't being heard."
The group had pushed for Murthy, whose nomination was announced Monday.
