Biden Introduces Cabinet with Majority of People of Color  

Hours ago, U.S. President-elect Joe Biden announced his economic and jobs team, including Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo for Commerce secretary and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh for Labor secretary.

By the latest two picks, the upcoming president completes his Cabinet secretary appointees, less than two weeks from the his inauguration.

Biden touted the persity and historic firsts in his Cabinet and said he had fulfilled his promise of having his Cabinet look like America.

"This will be the first Cabinet ever that is evenly composed with as many women as men in the Cabinet.

This will be the first Cabinet ever with the majority of people of color occupying this Cabinet," the President-elect said.

He noted his nominees would, if confirmed, include the first female treasury secretary, the first African American defense secretary, and the first Native American Cabinet secretary.

Biden spoke of the challenges his administration will face when he takes office in the middle of a pandemic and economic downturn when so many Americans have lost their jobs and are struggling financially.

Biden said his administration would prioritize distributing emergency economic aid to "small businesses on "Main Street" that aren't wealthy and well connected, that are facing real economic hardships through no fault of their own.

He said he would focus on supporting Black, Latino, Asian, Native American, and women-owned small businesses.

The President-elect stressed that Americans and small businesses struggling amid the pandemic need immediate and direct economic relief, including $2,000 stimulus checks.

$600 is simply not enough when you have to choose between paying rent, putting food on the table, keeping the lights on," Biden said of the stimulus checks that were recently approved by Congress.

He sympathized with Americans across the country who have lost their jobs and are now forced to line up at food banks to feed their families.

He pointed out that the gap between White unemployment and Black and Latino unemployment "remains much too large."