Progressives In The Democrat Party Want Key Positions In A Biden Cabinet

Many liberals are pushing Mr. Biden to name Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts as Treasury secretary. Credit: Anna Moneymaker for The New York Times

New York Times: Treasury Secretary Warren? Progressives Line Up to Press Their Agenda on Biden

With control of the Senate unclear, liberal Democrats are trying to figure out how to achieve their policy goals through the White House. They have an extensive blacklist for possible Biden appointees they do not like. They want to elevate allies like Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont to premier government posts. And they are even considering the possibility of bypassing Senate approval to fill executive branch roles.

As progressives have watched the Senate potentially slip out of reach this week, they have begun preparing to unleash a furious campaign to pressure President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. over personnel and priorities — even as they wrestle with the results of the election and the possible need to be more realistic about expectations over the next two years. “For those of us who focus on governance and economic and social justice, this election is a dismal rubber stamp of the unacceptable status quo,” said Larry Cohen, the chairman of Our Revolution, a progressive group. “Black, brown and white working Americans see their hopes of real reform evaporate for now, even while cheering the victory over Trump.”