Biden's big difference? Diversity

The Senate’s confirmation of Rep. Deb HaalandDeb HaalandThe Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – Biden faces GOP’s immigration and filibuster offensive Biden’s big difference? Diversity Native groups hope Haaland’s historic confirmation comes with tribal wins MORE (D-N.M.) as Interior secretary will make her the first Native American member of a presidential Cabinet in U.S. history, another first for a Biden administration that vowed to be the most diverse in history.

Up and down the administration, women and people of color are taking political roles — in the Cabinet, and as political appointees leading Washington’s bureaucracies.

The Biden administration has seen historic firsts in the form of the first woman to serve as vice president, the first female Treasury secretary, the first Black leader of the Pentagon and the first immigrant to run the Department of Homeland Security.

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It remains early on in Biden’s presidency. He has yet to have his full Cabinet confirmed by the Senate, and he will still need to nominate and get confirmed dozens of deputy and senior-level officials. But experts indicated that based on initial data, paired with his choice of senior-level White House staff, Biden is on track to have a more diverse administration than any past president.

“Right now he’s adhering to his promise. I suspect he’s going to surpass his predecessors,” said Kathryn Dunn Tenpas, a senior fellow at the Miller Center at the University of Virginia who has tracked Cabinet and senior-level appointments across administrations.

Tenpas cautioned that there is limited data available on Biden’s Cabinet picks. Nearly 60 days into his administration, Biden is still without confirmed secretaries of Labor or Health and Human Services, and he has yet to nominate a director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) after Neera TandenNeera TandenBiden’s big difference? Diversity Tom Cotton: Chamber of Commerce is ‘a front service for woke corporations’ Sperling hired to oversee COVID-19 relief plan MORE withdrew from consideration. The president must also fill out his administration with the scores of deputies and undersecretaries who make up senior leadership roles.

But those who have been confirmed underscore Biden’s commitment to diversity. In the 15 departments in the line of succession, nearly half of Biden’s appointees are women. The next highest percentage was former President Obama at 29 percent in his first 300 days in office, according to data Tenpas compiled.

Biden already has as many Black Senate-confirmed appointees in Cabinet-level agencies, three, as former President TrumpDonald TrumpThe Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – Biden faces GOP’s immigration and filibuster offensive Democrats play defense on border crisis Biden’s big difference? Diversity MORE had in his first 300 days in office.

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“In addition to just the sheer numbers, there’s a depth of commitment because his appointments, a lot of them will make historic firsts,” Tenpas said.

Cecilia RouseCecilia RouseBiden’s big difference? Diversity The Hill’s 12:30 Report – Presented by Johns Hopkins University – Biden sets optimistic tone for summer The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by the National Shooting Sports Foundation – Biden: Back to ‘normal’ still means ‘beat the virus’ MORE is the first Black chair of the Council of Economic Advisers. Kiran Ahuja, if confirmed, would be the first South Asian and first Asian American woman to lead the Office of Personnel Management. And Shalanda Young, viewed as the likely pick to lead OMB, would be the first Black woman to hold the role if nominated.

Biden’s senior staff are also noticeably more diverse than previous administrations, with several women in high-profile positions in particular. Biden’s communications director, press secretary, deputy press secretary, political director, head of the domestic policy council and legislative affairs director are all women.

The Biden-Harris transition put out a release at the end of December after the incoming administration had named its first 100 White House appointees. Of those 100, it boasted that 61 percent were women, 54 percent were people of color, 11 percent were LGBTQ appointees and nearly 20 percent were first-generation Americans.

President BidenJoe BidenBiden and Congress must take bold action to prevent violent extremism The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – Biden faces GOP’s immigration and filibuster offensive Democrats play defense on border crisis MORE and Vice President Harris promised that their Cabinet and Administration would reflect the diversity of the country, and that’s exactly what they have done,” a White House official said. “Not only are these cabinet officials and staff members some of the top experts in their fields, but they bring the life experience and perspective to help address the urgent crises facing our nation as we work to build the country back better than ever before.”

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Some groups have urged Biden to nominate more Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to high-ranking positions, noting that it’s the fastest growing demographic in the country but is only represented in the Cabinet by Katherine TaiKatherine TaiThe Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – Biden faces GOP’s immigration and filibuster offensive Biden’s big difference? Diversity The Hill’s 12:30 Report – Presented by Facebook – What’s happening on the US border MORE, the nominee to be U.S. trade representative.

Oscar Ramirez, a former Obama administration official who is the co-founder of Fulcrum Public Affairs, said he believes the Biden administration has done a better job than the Obama White House in installing diverse officials at the Cabinet level and with senior White House-level appointments in the first few months.

He said it would be worth monitoring appointments at the National Economic Council, the Domestic Policy Council and at deputy secretary positions moving forward.

“In those places I don’t think you’re quite seeing numbers that we need to see,” he said. “But it’s still early, so that’s where I think the administration needs to focus on making sure they have a lot of diverse appointments.”

Saudis propose cease-fire with Yemen's Houthi rebels

Saudi Arabia offered Yemen’s Houthi rebels a cease-fire Monday as part of a plan that would also allow a major airport to reopen in Yemen’s capital.

The new initiative comes amid stepped-up attacks by the Houthis against Saudi oil infrastructure, as well as increased pressure from the Biden administration on the Saudis to end what has become the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

“The Kingdom calls on the Yemeni government and the Houthis to accept the initiative, which gives the Houthis the opportunity to stop the bloodshed in Yemen, address the humanitarian and economic conditions that the brotherly Yemeni people are suffering from, and gives them the opportunity to become partners in achieving peace,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement Monday.

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It’s unclear whether the plan will gain any traction. A unilateral Saudi cease-fire last year collapsed.

Yemen’s internationally recognized government welcomed the Saudi proposal in a statement from its Foreign Ministry.

But Houthi officials dismissed the plan as “nothing new” in statements to The Associated Press and Reuters.

Under the Saudi plan, a “comprehensive” cease-fire across Yemen would be supervised by the United Nations.

The Saudis would also allow the Sanaa International Airport to reopen to “a number” of regional and international flights, according to the Foreign Ministry statement. The airport has not seen regular commercial flights since 2015.

The plan would also include depositing taxes and customs fees from ships importing oil through the port of Hodeida into a joint account of Yemen’s Central Bank that could be accessed by both the Houthis and Yemen’s government.

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But the plan does not go as far as the Houthis have demanded by fully ending the blockades on the airport and Hodeida.

The Saudi-led military campaign against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels has been blamed for thousands of civilian deaths and exacerbating a humanitarian crisis that has millions of people on the verge of famine.

Last month, President BidenJoe BidenGood luck, Dan Bongino! The Hill’s Morning Report – Biden’s next act: Massive infrastructure plan with tax hikes Conservative group says polling shows Dems’ voting rights bill ‘out of sync with American voters’ MORE announced an end to U.S. support for Saudi Arabia’s offensive operations in the war.

The Biden administration also removed a terrorist designation against the Houthis, allowing humanitarian aid to continue reaching rebel-controlled areas. The Trump administration applied the designation against the group in the waning days of the administration.

At the same time, Biden administration officials have made clear they continue to support Saudi Arabia’s right to defend itself and have condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi territory.

After Saudi Arabia’s announcement Monday, the State Department said Secretary of State Antony BlinkenAntony BlinkenThe Hill’s Morning Report – Biden’s next act: Massive infrastructure plan with tax hikes Overnight Defense: Top House Armed Services Republican talks National Guard at Capitol, Afghanistan, more | Pentagon chief visits Afghanistan amid administration’s review | Saudis propose Yemen ceasefire Why is the Biden administration more interested in confrontation than cooperation? MORE spoke with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud about Yemen.

The pair spoke about support for efforts to “end the conflict in Yemen, starting with the need for all parties to commit to a cease-fire and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid,” according to a State Department statement on the call.

“Secretary Blinken reiterated our commitment to supporting the defense of Saudi Arabia and strongly condemned recent attacks against Saudi territory from Iranian-aligned groups in the region,” the statement said. “Additionally, they discussed the importance of stabilizing the Yemeni economy.”

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Brunei-owned hotels hide social media accounts after boycott and backlash over anti-gay laws

The Brunei-owned luxury hotels facing an international boycott have hidden their social media accounts after backlash over laws in the country were enacted this week making gay sex punishable by death. The hotels, which are operated under the Dorchester Collection brand, have faced a celebrity-led international boycott after implementing the new laws.

“Although we believe in open and transparent communication, we have reluctantly deactivated our hotel social media pages due to the personal abuse directed to our employees for whom we have a duty of care,” Dorchester Collection posted on social media. The boycott was sparked last week in an opinion piece by actor George Clooney, who said a boycott of the high-end hotels — where rooms can start at $600 a night or more — is necessary to keep money from flowing “directly into the pockets of men who choose to stone and whip to death their own citizens for being gay or accused of adultery.”
Even before 2014, homosexuality was already punishable in Brunei by a jail term of up to 10 years. But under the new laws – which apply to children and foreigners, even if they are not Muslim – those found guilty of gay sex can be stoned to death or whipped. Adulterers risk death by stoning too, while thieves face amputation of a right hand on their first offense and a left foot on their second.The nine hotels owned by Brunei are: The Dorchester, London45 Park Lane, LondonCoworth Park, UKThe Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly HillsHotel Bel-Air, Los AngelesLe Meurice, ParisHotel Plaza Athenee, ParisHotel Eden, RomeHotel Principe di Savoia, MilanEight of the hotels’ accounts have been deleted or deactivated on Twitter, with just Hotel Principle de Savoia in Italy “protected,” meaning it is still present on the website, but the tweets cannot be viewed, BBC News reports. The Instagram accounts of all but three of the hotels have been deleted or deactivated, with Le Meurice and Hôtel Plaza Athénée in France and Hotel Eden in Rome switched to “private” to prevent the posts being viewed.Finally, all hotels have been made inaccessible on Facebook, with attempts to view their pages presenting an error message.The Financial Times reported Friday that several high-profile events have been pulled from the Dorchester and 45 Park Lane in London. Additionally, Deutsche Bank said the nine hotels would be excluded from the list of hotels its employees could use.