Members of the Congressional Black Caucus are urging President-elect JOE BIDEN to pick a Black Defense secretary, somewhat dimming hopes that Biden will pick MICHÈLE FLOURNOY, who would be the first female Pentagon chief, for the job, four people familiar with the discussions tell LARA SELIGMAN, TYLER PAGER, HEATHER CAYGLE and Alex.
The group has also been pushing for African-Americans to be “seriously considered” for national security jobs in the administration, said one Democratic aide.
While Flournoy is still the frontrunner, the Biden team, which has promised to be the most diverse U.S. administration in history, is concerned about the optics of the top four Cabinet officials — State, Defense, Treasury and Justice — being white, said one transition official. Biden has already announced that the secretary of State and Treasury jobs will go to ANTONY BLINKEN and JANET YELLEN, respectively, and is strongly considering picking SALLY YATES as attorney general — all of whom are white, the person said.