President-elect Joe Biden is planning to make history with his presidential Cabinet. He has already selected the first women to potentially lead the Treasury Department and the nation's intelligence community, and the first African American individuals to serve as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers and deputy treasury secretary. Biden's picks to lead both the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Health and Human Services could also mark the first time a Latino leads either of those agencies.
Furthermore, Biden officially announced retired Army General Lloyd Austin as his pick for Defense Secretary. If confirmed, Austin will be the first Black man to lead the Department. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C. 6th District) told Cheddar's Opening Bell that while Austin has "a tremendous reputation" he will face a tough confirmation. That's because Austin will need a waiver to lead the Department of Defense. He left the military almost five years ago, but the law requires Secretaries of Defense to be retired for at least seven years.
A waiver was granted to the former Defense Secretary, retired Gen. James Mattis, in 2017. At the time 17 Democratic senators voted against Mattis' waiver. At least two, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) have both signaled they are still against another waiver.
Clyburn is not concerned about the waiver. "An African American as Secretary of Defense at a time where our military is about 40 percent minority, I think, is exactly what we need to do," he said
He also thinks complaints that there is not enough diversity at the upper echelon of the administration are unfounded. The congressman pointed to several other appointees like Rep. Marcia Fudge who will lead Biden's Department of Housing and Urban Development, and said, "if you look at the overall picks now, you will come to the conclusion that he's keeping his promise."
One position still not named is that of Attorney General. Some reports indicate Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) may be one of Biden's top choices, but critics have suggested a person of color should lead the Justice Department at a time when the system has proven to disproportionately impact Black Americans.
Clyburn supports Jones as the presumptive AG, saying the choice shouldn't be about race. "What's required is for someone who understands what it is to have a judicial system that works for everybody."
Jones has a long history of fighting for civil rights in the south. Perhaps his most notable case was against two members of the KKK who bombed the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, killing four Black children. More than 20 people also were injured in the bombing that happened in 1963. While the FBI confirmed the men were responsible shortly after the attack, they weren't convicted until nearly 40 years later, thanks to Jones.
"Decades they walked around free after bombing that church and killing those four Black girls. [Jones] prosecuted them and got them convicted," Clyburn told Cheddar. "You don't have to be Black to do right by Black people."
Before those nominations, though, Congress must deal with the issue of coronavirus relief. "I've got 40 African American mayors of little towns in South Carolina," Rep. Clyburn said. "They need help."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer recently rejected a new relief bill proposal from the White House with a $916 billion price tag. While the bill would offer $600 stimulus checks, it pulled most of that money from unemployment benefits. "I think that Speaker Pelosi and Leader Schumer would be doing a disservice to these people not to stand up to them and try to get the help that they need," Clyburn said.
Clyburn is also in charge of Biden's inauguration committee, and the event is to be largely virtual, rather than a traditional swearing-in ceremony. He described it as a similar set up to the Democratic National Convention this summer. "We won't have these superspreader events that they've grown used to for the last several months," Rep Clyburn said. "We're going to do it the way the scientists say it should be done."
For those Americans who hoped to witness the historic day, as not only the president, but the first female, first Black, and first South Asian Vice President, is sworn in, the congressman says to turn on the television.
And does he expect President Trump to attend the event? "We could care less whether or not he shows up for the inauguration," said Clyburn.
U.S. officials spoke to Russian leaders for nearly eight hours earlier this week, in hopes of reducing tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Russia forced the west to the negotiating table by massing 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border, sparking fears of an invasion, and then submitted a set of demands which the west rejected. Joel Rubin, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State & President at Washington Strategy Group explains what the rest of the week might look like, and why other European nations may be on the side of the U.S.
Chicago schools opened their doors again following a dispute between the teachers union and the city over as the omicron variant continues to surge, but the safety issues they fought over weren't just limited to the Windy City. Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell, family medicine and urgent care doctor, joined Cheddar in discussing concerns of parents, teachers, and students as schools try to operate amid COVID and noted what she's been observing as the number of infections among children rises. "I am seeing them contract the illness from so many different aspects," she said. "It could be from a fellow classmate. It could be from a parent. All of those things really play in the effect of transmission as well as contracting the illness."
Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) is looking for clarification about a federal standard regarding THC impairment while driving. "I think in terms of marijuana, the fact that it's still a Schedule 1 narcotic — it's treated the same as heroin and cocaine — it means that we can't get standards developed," he said about the lack of cohesive regulations. The lawmaker also explained his previous opposition to cannabis legalization in Colorado when he was governor and why his position changed.
With Martin Luther King Jr. Day fast approaching, Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C. 6th District), the House Majority Whip, talked about the importance of honoring the iconic civil rights activist. "As we consider the life and celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., let's think about who and what we are as a country, and whether or not we're going to give up on the ideals of this country or continue to press forward," he said. Clyburn also discussed the push for new voting legislation, the For the People Act and the John Lewis Act, as well as the fate of the Senate filibuster.
One year after the attack on Capitol Hill, America is still deeply divided and politically broken. Zoe Tillman, senior reporter for BuzzFeed News, breaks down President Biden's remarks on January 6, and why the country disagrees on its views over the violent insurrection.
While the pandemic caused financial troubles for many, the unique circumstances of the last two years proved helpful to many Americans. Whether it was the federal government's stimulus checks, expanded unemployment insurance, or general lockdowns, recent data reveals that the covid-19 pandemic helped many reach financial security. Neale Godfrey, Financial Expert and New York Times #1 Best Selling Author joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
U.S. markets opened higher despite red-hot inflation data which showed the highest surge in nearly 40 years. Jon Maier, CIO, GlobalX ETFs joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss this historic report.
Meta's request to have a Federal Trade Commission antitrust lawsuit dismissed was rejected by a federal judge. Prosecutors presented enough evidence in their latest filing to go forward with the case accusing the tech giant of operating a social networking monopoly through Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Covid cases have started to spike again across the nation, and this time they seem to be hitting some of our youngest and most vulnerable - school-aged children. School districts across the nation - including the country's largest public school system in New York City- are all grappling with what to do as teachers and students alike continue to miss school in droves.
Katie Honan, reporter for the New York City-based non profit news organization, The City explains how educational leaders across the country are handling covid demands from both teachers and parents alike.
Last week, the Supreme Court began here to hear arguments on two of the President's COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The vaccine or testing requirement for employees of large businesses, as well as the vaccine mandate for health care providers who get funding through either Medicare or Medicaid. The justices in DC will ultimately decide whether or not federal agencies even have the authority to issue these types of mandates. Editor at large of employment at Law 360, Vin Gurrieri, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
