Priorities for the Biden-Harris Administration's
First 100 Days: Equitable Representation
First 100 Days: Equitable Representation
Improving government services to our communities is not just about funding programs - it also requires ensuring that our government looks like and reflects the interests of those it governs.
Communities like ours, that have already been marginalized by structural barriers to equal opportunities and have low levels of wealth, are particularly vulnerable during all emergencies, whether natural disasters, economic downturns, or a health pandemic like the one caused by COVID-19. In order to respond to the crisis being faced by Latinos due to COVID-19, as well as to address other issues negatively impacting Hispanic and immigrant communities across the country, we urge the Biden-Harris administration to implement the following policies as soon as possible.
Primeros 100 Actions:
Announce a commitment to make sure that at least 20 percent of new positions of the approximately 4,000 political and other jobs to be filled by a new president will be held by diverse Latinos including in leadership positions across Agency departments and bureaus. Latinx appointees should strive for gender equity, and diversity in race, socio-economic background, sexual orientation, and physical ability.
Include detail in the Administration’s budget to indicate specific line items for expenditures toward environmental justice and vulnerable communities. Expenditures should be tracked by census block and methods for determining geographic disbursement of funds should be publicly accessible.
- Nominate judges who have demonstrated records of preserving or expanding civil rights protections and who reflect the country’s growing diversity, and improve the representation of Hispanics in the federal judiciary by setting a goal of no less than 20 percent of your nominations to the federal bench be Latinx judges, to improve the representation of Hispanics in the federal judiciary. Reject any representations that judges of Latino ancestry are somehow biased and unfit to serve on the judiciary or preside over specific cases.
Recommended Executive Orders or Actions
- Issue an executive order on Hispanic hiring to increase the representation of diverse Hispanics in career federal employment positions and other government posts. Include funding for initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion in workforce hiring, training and retention, and strong accountability mechanisms that encourage agencies and managers to meet diversity hiring targets for Hispanics (including in race, gender, sexual orientation, and disability).
