Good morning, and welcome to The Yappie’s AAPI politics briefing — your guide to the policy news and activism affecting Asian Americans + Pacific Islanders. Send tips and feedback to [email protected] and support our work by making a donation.
— Edited by Shawna Chen
The Biden Era
BIDEN SIGNS EO TO EXPAND RESEARCH ON WOMEN’S HEALTH: President Joe Biden signed an executive order this week directing federal agencies to double down on research into women’s health, including conditions like menopause, arthritis, and heart disease.
- The order requires agencies to report their research investments annually, study the use of AI for advancing the field, and improve the enrollment of women in clinical trials.
- It directs the National Institutes of Health to increase its investments in women’s health-focused small businesses by 50%. The Defense Department will also allocate $10 million to examining cancers and mental health issues among women in the military.
- Federal agencies are also expected to prioritize funding for research that addresses health disparities and inequities spurred by race, age, socioeconomic status, disability, and environmental factors.
- The stakes: AAPI women have always faced unique health challenges, but advocates say they could worsen significantly with reproductive care at risk. Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders, for instance, reported receiving less prenatal care in the first trimester even before the Supreme Court decision and have higher infant mortality than white people, according to biopharmaceuticals company Pfizer.
- In their words: “As we celebrate Women’s History Month, let’s write a new future,” First Lady Jill Biden said at the executive order signing. “A future where no woman or girl has to hear that, ‘it’s all in your head,’ or ‘it’s just stress.’ A future where women aren’t just an after-thought in a world designed for men, but the first thought in a world designed for everyone.”
TWO MORE ASIAN AMERICAN JUDICIAL NOMINEES CONFIRMED: The Senate has confirmed Jasmine Yoon and Sunil Harjani, both nominated by Biden in January, to serve as federal judges after they received bipartisan support.
- Yoon, confirmed to serve in the Western District of Virginia, will be the state’s first Asian American federal judge. Born in South Korea, she came to the U.S. at the age of 14 and worked as Capital One Financial Corporation’s vice president of corporate integrity, ethics, and investigations prior to her nomination.
- Harjani, who will serve in the Northern District of Illinois, was the first South Asian American to become a U.S. magistrate judge in his district. He previously practiced federal civil litigation at the Securities and Exchange Commission before prosecuting fraud for the federal government.
- The Senate has now confirmed 32 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander federal judges under Biden, according to the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.
ICYMI—AAPIS RESPOND TO STATE OF THE UNION: While Biden covered many issues that impact AAPI voters—including economic policies, abortion and IVF, and immigration—his State of the Union address drew mixed reactions from AAPI groups. He especially took heat for referring to an undocumented immigrant as “an illegal” and later said he regretted using the term.
On The Hill
Photo: Sgt. Jesus Sepulveda Torres/U.S. Marine Corps via PICRYL
HIRONO SECURES NEW FUNDS FOR HAWAI‘I: A measure in the spending bill will set aside over $307 million for Hawai‘i under the Compact Impact Fairness Act, which Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai‘i) first introduced in 2021.
- The funds will be earmarked for nearly 50 nonprofits and government agencies in Hawai‘i working on projects to strengthen conservation efforts, upgrade infrastructure, and support community programs.
- Don’t forget: Over 15,000 Micronesian migrants reside in Hawai‘i, Radio New Zealand’s Tim Glasgow reports. Many are subject to discrimination on the islands.
- Zoom out: The Compact Impact Fairness Act is part of the U.S.’s broader agreement to continue funding the Compacts of Free Association (COFA)—an agreement that allows the U.S. government to maintain military rights over the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau in exchange for economic aid. The deal passed Congress this month after months of delays.
MODERATE DEMOCRATS LAUNCH NEW BORDER TASK FORCE: As Congress’ gridlock over immigration continues, a group of House Democrats is convening a new task force in a bid to push their party closer to center on the issue of border security, NBC News’ Sahil Kapur reports.
- Members of the “Democrats for Border Security” task force, which will emphasize enforcement, say it’s the pathway to winning competitive districts and defeating Trump.
- It’s co-chaired by Reps. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) and Tom Suozzi (D-New York). Cuellar, a moderate, represents a border district and has long been vocal about the need to address migrant influxes. Suozzi, meanwhile, flipped a GOP swing district with a platform supporting stricter border laws.
- Trump led Biden by a 35-point margin in a January NBC poll that asked voters to choose the candidate that would do a better job at “securing the border and controlling immigration.”
- On our radar: The Department of Justice is in the midst of a legal dispute with Texas over a state law that allows its officials to detain and deport migrants who enter illegally without authorization.
- Over 1.7 million undocumented AAPIs live in the U.S., according to the Center for Migration Studies. Southeast Asians make up the largest percentage of the nation’s refugee community and disproportionately face deportation, per the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center.
Campaign Watch
YAPPIE EXCLUSIVES: The Biden campaign rolls out new ad buy and messaging strategy targeting AAPI voters.
- The ad, first shared with The Yappie’s Katrina Pham, highlights Biden’s investment in AAPI small businesses amid high living costs. Aimed at AAPI voters in key battleground states, it will run on YouTube and feature in national and local AAPI-serving news outlets.
- Meanwhile, The Yappie’s Shawna Chen learned earlier this month that the Biden campaign is launching a new strategic effort to emphasize the economic and health care costs to AAPI communities under a potential second Trump term.
- On our radar: Biden recently secured endorsements from Collective PAC, Latino Victory Fund, and AAPI Victory Fund—the largest groups representing the Black, Latino, and AAPI communities, respectively. The three PACs also announced a $30 million commitment towards mobilizing voters of color in battleground states, The Hill’s Brett Samuels writes.
VINCE FONG GAINS STEAM IN CALIFORNIA WITH TRUMP SUPPORT: California Assemblymember Vince Fong (R) has won a key endorsement from former President Donald Trump (R) as he continues his campaign to replace ousted House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R)—both for McCarthy's returning term in office and for the subsequent term.
- Fong, who has served in the Assembly since 2016, advanced to the November general election with almost 20 percentage points over the second-place contender, Tulare County sheriff Mike Boudreaux.
- The Chinese American captured national attention when McCarthy first endorsed him. Fong previously served as McCarthy’s district director and is largely considered his protege, Michael R. Blood writes for the Associated Press.
- Fong’s campaign has focused on tightening border security, combating inflation, and defending the Central Valley’s water and energy resources.
KIM, STEEL CRUISE BY CALIFORNIA PRIMARIES: Despite concerns that the loss of McCarthy’s influence as speaker could trickle down to impact GOP-held districts in California, incumbent Reps. Young Kim (R) and Michelle Steel (R) advanced to the November election with comfortable leads in their districts, which both encompass parts of Orange County.
- Kim, a more moderate Republican, won her primary with more than double the votes of her nearest opponent. She ended with around 57% in her favor, while first-time-candidate Joe Kerr (D) ended with about 25%.
- Steel, a Trump supporter, won her primary with no opposing candidate on her coattails. Steel took over 55% of votes compared to the roughly 16% that went to her closest competitor, newcomer Derek Tran (D).
WHAT’S BUZZING—BIDEN AND PALMER TIE IN AMERICAN SAMOA: Democratic candidate Jason Palmer came out of nowhere to garner 11 more votes than Biden in the U.S. territory of American Samoa on Super Tuesday, earning each candidate three delegates after a rounding error.
- Although Palmer’s performance in the primary will have almost no effect on Biden’s nomination, it drew attention to the Maryland entrepreneur, who has never been to American Samoa.
- While residents of U.S. territories do vote in presidential primaries, they are not represented in the electoral college and do not vote in the general election, which can lead to an “awareness gap” when it comes to the purpose of the primaries, American Samoa Democratic Party chair Patrick Ti’a Reid told NPR’s Bill Chappell. Lack of outreach from presidential campaigns also contributes.
- Fun fact: It’s not the first time American Samoa has taken the spotlight for unexpected voting patterns. In the 2020 Democratic primary, American Samoa voters gave Michael Bloomberg his only campaign victory.
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