The big picture: Biden is weighing Lujan Grisham, who he considered as his vice presidential running mate, along with Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimando for the critical post.
- The next HHS secretary will not only have to tackle the coronavirus crisis but reconfigure the Affordable Care Act, which the Trump administration has attempted to dismantle.
The case: In their letter to Biden, 32 members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus say nominating Alejandro Mayorkas to lead the Department of Homeland Security was a "good start" - but they believe the country deserves more.
- "Latinos constitute 18 percent of the U.S. population and the diversity of the Latino population in itself is incredibly varied, with Mexican-Americans making up 62.3 percent of the total Latino population," the letter says.
- "We write to restate our strong support for the first Democratic Hispanic woman elected state governor in U.S. history."
- Lujan Grisham was a chairperson of the Caucus while serving in the House from 2013-2019. While the letter is not a CHC document, the signers are members of the group.
Between the lines: Mayorkas is of Cuban extraction and most of the letter signers, as well as Lujan Grisham, are of Mexican-American descent. Cubans communities supported Trump, especially in south Florida, while other Hispanic demographics helped Biden win crucial states, including Arizona and Pennsylvania.
