Two influential progressive groups want projected President-elect Joe Biden to pick Keith Ellison to serve as attorney general of the United States.
The Sunrise Movement and Justice Democrats released their picks for Biden’s cabinet this week, saying the former vice president “must assemble a powerful governing team to stop the climate crisis.”
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is their top pick for U.S. attorney general, followed by Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.
Other picks include Sen. Elizabeth Warren for secretary of the treasury, Sen. Bernie Sanders for secretary of labor, Rep. Rashida Tlaib for secretary of housing and urban development, and Rep. Pramila Jayapal for secretary of health and human services.
The two groups also want Biden to establish an “Office of Climate Mobilization,” a “brand new executive office and senior position with wide-reaching power to combat the climate crisis.”
“This new position will convene and coordinate across the President’s Cabinet agencies and, ultimately, hold every federal department accountable to the national project of stopping climate change. The Office of Climate Mobilization will deeply embed this mission into all of our spending, regulations, policies, and actions,” the groups said.
Alexandra Rojas, executive director of Justice Democrats, told The Hill that Biden “must embrace this historic moment by keeping the party united and appointing progressive leaders who will help him usher in the most progressive Democratic administration in generations.”
“Progressives make up close to half the party in Congress and deserve representation in the next administration,” she said.
Others, however, think that Biden will need to pick more moderate nominees, since the Senate, which is responsible for confirming cabinet appointments, is likely to remain in Republican control. Biden is reportedly considering Sen. Amy Klobuchar for U.S. attorney general or agriculture secretary.
Anthony Gockowski
Anthony Gockowski is Editor-in-Chief of Alpha News. He previously worked as an editor for The Minnesota Sun and Campus Reform, and wrote for the Daily Caller.
