WASHINGTON – In response to the Biden administration’s announcement of Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo as Commerce Secretary and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh as Labor Secretary, Morris Pearl, the Chair of the Patriotic Millionaires and a former managing director of BlackRock, Inc., issued the following statement:

“The violence at the Capitol on Wednesday is a direct result of a Trump presidency that is itself the direct result of a decades-long effort by amoral fascist plutocrats and cynical politicians to rig the economy in favor of the rich, destroy the middle class, and exploit human vulnerabilities for political gain.

The areas of the country with the highest levels of despair – suicide, opioid addiction, and death – are the areas of the country that demonstrate the most ardent support for Trump. If we are to have any chance to begin healing our nation, our government must do everything possible to meet the urgent needs of our people. 

A tremendous amount of the relief and support that the American people need is going to have to flow through the Departments of Commerce and Labor. The Patriotic Millionaires congratulate Governor Gina Raimondo and Mayor Marty Walsh on their nomination to important positions in President-elect Joe Biden’s cabinet, and we hope that they recognize the responsibility they now have. Bold, decisive action to reorient our economy around the needs of working Americans and support their rights to organize is the only way to save this country.”

This post was originally published on Radio Free.