Bernie Sanders confirms interest in Labor Secretary job under Biden administration
Sanders was routinely critical of Biden's policy record on the campaign trail, but ultimately endorsed him for president.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said on Wednesday that he would accept a position if President-elect Joe Biden’s Cabinet if one was offered.
Leading progressives have floated Sanders, who caucuses with Senate Democrats, as a potential candidate for the labor secretary position in the incoming Biden-Harris administration in recent days. The longtime senator, 79, confirmed that he was open to the possibility.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"What's true is I want to do everything I can to protect the working families of this country who are under tremendous duress right now. Whether that's in the Senate, whether that's in the Biden administration, who knows," Sanders said during an appearance on CNN. "Let's see how that unfolds."
Sanders was asked specifically about whether he would accept the role of labor secretary.
"If I had a portfolio that allowed me to stand up and fight for working families, would I do it?" Sanders said. "Yes, I would."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sanders ran unsuccessful bids for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016 and 2020. He was routinely critical of Biden’s policy record on the campaign trail, but ultimately endorsed the former vice president in his race against President Trump.
In campaign stops around the country, Trump warned his supporters that Biden would allow leading progressive voices such as Sanders to dictate policy and enact radical reforms if he was elected to the White House.
Trump has yet to concede the 2020 election. The Fox News Decision Desk and other media outlets named Biden as president-elect after he secured projected victories in the key battleground states of Nevada and Pennsylvania.
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Biden named his longtime aide, Ronald Klain, as his White House chief of staff in the first Cabinet appointment for his incoming administration. The transition team is expected to announce more Cabinet picks in the upcoming days.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, another leading progressive who was critical of Biden during the campaign, has been floated as a potential choice for treasury secretary.