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Biden Taps Marty Walsh for Labor Sec, Gina Raimondo for Commerce, Isabel Guzman for Small Business Admin

HeadlineJan 08, 2021

Joe Biden has tapped Boston Mayor Marty Walsh for labor secretary. Walsh was a top union leader, heading up the Boston Building Trades before his career in politics, and has the support of many prominent labor union figures. But others had hoped Biden would select another Cabinet member of color, as several were reportedly up for consideration, including California Labor Secretary Julie Su, who is Asian American. If Walsh is confirmed, Boston City Council President Kim Janey, who is African American, will become acting mayor, making her the first woman and first person of color to serve as mayor of Boston.

In other Cabinet news, Biden has selected Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo as commerce secretary. The Revolving Door Project said the choice was “profoundly troubling,” tweeting, “Raimondo has a record of promoting fracking and cuts to public assistance programs, selling public pensions to Wall Street, and grossly mishandling Rhode Island’s COVID-19 outbreak.”

And Isabel Guzman has been nominated to head the U.S. Small Business Administration. She previously served in the same agency under President Obama and is currently the director of California’s Office of the Small Business Advocate. Guzman is the first Latina named to a Cabinet-level post by Biden. She’ll be involved in overseeing the implementation of the Paycheck Protection Program, a key part of the pandemic stimulus plan. 

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