An update on the Noriega for Cabinet story:
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus, frustrated that just one Latino has been picked for Barack Obama’s Cabinet to date, is pushing Houston state Rep. Rick Noriega and 13 other prominent Hispanics for the eight remaining spots in the president-elect’s Cabinet.
Reps. Charlie Gonzalez, D-Texas, and Joe Baca, D-Calif., sent a letter yesterday to Obama’s transition team on behalf of the Hispanic Caucus recommending that Noriega be considered for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs position. Noriega, a reserve Army officer who has served in Afghanistan, has met with the Obama team in Chicago, our Chronicle collegue Alan Bernstein reported last week.
My first thought for him was FEMA, but this would be a good fit, too. President-elect Obama says he’s still working on filling out his Cabinet, so hopefully we’ll know soon. BOR has more.