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CBC member trusts Obama to tap ‘most qualified’ for Cabinet
Congressional Black Caucus member Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) on Wednesday said she trusted President Obama to pick the “most qualified, experienced’ people to serve in his Cabinet.
Moore’s comments came after CBC Chairwoman Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) in a letter said earlier this week that she was concerned that Obama had yet to appoint any African Americans to his second-term Cabinet.
"Well I can tell you that as the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Marcia Fudge has a right to weigh in with her thoughts," Moore said. "There are many qualified African Americans out there and I think the White House would be well advised to vet some of them.
"As a person who's been an employer of a handful of people throughout the duration of my career, it's always important to me to have a diverse staff,” she continued. “Diversity does give you greater policy options, different opinion. But the bottom line is that you do want the most qualified, experienced people to be in your shop and so I would err on the side of allowing the president to go through that process and make sure that he has people who are in the best position to serve him."
Attorney General Eric Holder, who joined the Cabinet in the first term, remains Obama’s only black Cabinet-level appointment.
The CBC letter is not the first time attention has been called to the level of diversity in Obama's cabinet.
Earlier this year, the White House faced scrutiny over the number of women in the Cabinet after the departures of Hillary Clinton as secretary of State, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, and Hilda Solis as secretary of Labor. Obama’s senior most Cabinet nominations include Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, Secretary of State John Kerry and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, all white men.
The president responded to the controversy earlier this year and promised that he would tap more minorities for key positions.
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